


Changes That Choose Us

by HypnoticNurse



Category: Brave (2012), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Dragons, Emotional Roller Coaster, F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi, New Family, Transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2020-09-25 08:21:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20373646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HypnoticNurse/pseuds/HypnoticNurse
Summary: Only one thing is worse than being killed by a dragon, and that is being cursed by one. Astrid succeeded in killing the beast but not before it got in one good bite. That's all it took. Now she's running from those she protected to avoid being killed in turn. The pain is intense, the dragon's ire screams in her mind, and she doesn't know what will get her first. The changes or the murderous mob right behind her.





	1. Her Name is Stormfly

Her breath fogged in short clouds as she sprinted through the forest as fast as she dared. Dead leaves crunching and twigs snapping under her boots as she fought to find a path that led her deeper, and away from the torches, the shouting, the people after her blood. Desperately she looked in vain left and right, praying silently for a game trail or open path, but none existed on a cloudy night. Pushing away a low hanging branch as she ran, an errant root tripped her and cast her to the ground. Landing hard she took the briefest moment to listen, and look over her shoulder seeing no evidence of anyone nearby.

Taking a steadying breath Astrid pushed herself into a sitting position against the offending tree whose root tripped her. Raising her right hand, she went to brush her hair out of her face and screamed in pain. Her feet exploded in torment and she looked down in horror as her boots rip apart, making way for torn skin, blood and draconic clawed feet in place of where her human ones existed but a few seconds before.

“No, no, no nononono noo AHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

Clenching her eyes shut, Astrid waits for the fresh agony in her mouth to pass before opening her eyes and staring in disbelief at what is easily half her bloody teeth on the ground. Spitting out the coppery fluid, she runs her tongue cautiously over the sharp replacements. Not able to comprehend the changes occurring to her body, Astrid freezes when she hears the familiar sound of several bodies marching through the forest. Not taking the chance to look she pushes herself up, grimacing she slowly lopes deeper into the black forest.

Pointedly ignoring the unfamiliar feet she ran away on, Astrid stubbornly moved North knowing that if she went far enough the mob chasing her would give up. Too many stories of travelers lost in the northern forest, strange creatures walking like men, and killing any they found. Not really any proof to base the stories on, but it was all she had and her villages populace were a highly superstitious lot. Hel the nightmare she was living was evidence enough to make it worth the effort.

Coming into a small clearing, the moon shone through a small gap in the clouds and Astrid paused when she realized she could see every detail of her surroundings. It might as well have been midday for all the difference it made at that moment. The trees were beginning to fade from their autumn reds, yellows and oranges as Winter made a slow approach. Taking in the clearing, it was clearing of any obstacles and would be fairly easy to make across, normally. Catching her breath, she noticed a slight change in the trees. There were more evergreens, she had made it to the outer reaches of the Northern Forest.

“Finally, a break.” 

Astrid took in a sharp breath as she heard the snap before feeling it and collapsed to the cool ground. This sensation was one she had experienced before, it was what a broken rib felt like. Only this time all of her ribs were breaking at the same time. She could only take in short, agonizing breaths as she was assaulted anew in her living hell. Without her consent tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her cheeks. She coughed, immediately regretting the movement with a new wave of pain wracking her chest and back.

Unbidden thoughts of the last two weeks played through her mind’s eye. The hunt for a downed dragon in the eastern forest, the glory and reward she would win by bringing the head in as proof. Taking her axe, going alone, and tracking the beast for two days until she had it cornered by a waterfall in a small cove. It was a poor looking specimen, the scales were dull, the wings had been shredded probably by arrows, and its eyes were milky. As she stalked closer, Astrid figured she was doing the beast a favor by putting it out of its obvious misery. She was nearly close enough to make a crippling throw with her axe, creeping slowly down the hill, her steps muffled by the falling water. She stopped, braced her footing, drew back her axe and as she leant forward in her throw the ground gave way causing her throw to go wide and alerting the dragon to her presence.

It was a close battle after that, she managed to slip by the half-blind beast and grab her axe. She was forced to get into the dragon’s striking range to avoid being hit by the tail spines, she knew they were poisonous, but the ground proved to be her undoing one final time. Too close to the waterfall, the slick ground caused Astrid to slip and drop her guard for a mere second and it was enough for her to be bitten on her left bicep. The pain was temporary as she rallied, struggling free and swinging her axe burying it deep into the dragon’s neck. It was relatively a fast passing, and yet Astrid felt a pang of pity for the dying creature.

She took the head back as proof, and claimed the reward ensuring a winter with plenty of provisions. All was as it should be for Astrid, she took her shifts at guard duty, accepted the congratulatory drinks, and for two weeks she reveled in the knowledge she could do it on her own. She had the proof for the village elders she could make it without an arranged marriage. She was her own person. Then two weeks to the day and she awoke to find yellow draconic eyes staring back in her mirror. The wound on her bicep healed completely yet burning hot to the touch. 

Despair filled Astrid at that moment. She had seen the same symptoms in her uncle all those years back after his run in with a dragon while out on patrol. He complained about his leg being on fire, yet she distinctly recalled no wound and that it had felt a little warm. Later that night her Uncle Finn turned into the very beast that had bitten him and tore apart half the village before he was brought down. It was then Astrid knew she had to flee, for fear of doing the same or being caught and killed before the change did occur. 

Damn her fortune when the fucking guard pining after her wouldn’t leave her alone when she made for the northern gate. He managed to get into her line of sight, looked into her eyes, and sounded the alarm. Astrid was fairly convinced she didn’t kill him when she knocked out the guard, but the damage was done and she had been running since that moment.

Dragged back to the present, Astrid groaned as her ribs knitted themselves back together and at what felt like several times their normal size. Rolling from her back to her hands and knees, Astrid took in a pain free breath and looked over her shoulder with relief that no one seemed to have followed her this far into the forest. Feeling the strength to move a little farther, she slowly pushed herself up and shuddered at the sight of what was undoubtedly skin from her legs shredded upon the ground. 

Slowly stumbling with a what she assumed was a horribly malformed body to the center of the clearing Astrid fervently wished for her changes to pause until she reached the cover on the opposite side. Fate indeed became a cruel mistress for once Astrid stepped directly into the open, the skin on her back ripped open. Howling out from what she could only surmise was akin to being flayed, Astrid fell to her hands and knees once more. Breathing seemed all she was capable of and even that was turning into a ridiculous chore she barely managed to maintain.

“Come on Astrid, keep moving. Your...why is my head itch…” She didn’t even finish the thought before a chunk of her blonde hair fell out, part of her scalp attached. The only thought she could hold on to was that it didn’t hurt, it just itches like mad. She laughed, and it slowly became louder and manic, uncontrollable. Same as the tears that started falling again. No matter what she did, she was doomed to become the monster she killed a fortnight past. 

“Why, why, why, why, wwwwhhhhhyyyy!” She groaned, but no answer came. Just silence, and the steady sound of grass being crushed to the ground and released.

Grass being crushed and released? Astrid slowly raised her head to where to sound was emanating to find a man a dozen feet away, staring at her with… empathy, and kindness? No, she’s hallucinating from the pain. Anyone who saw her now would definitely be looking at her in disgust, horror, hatred, not with... understanding? 

Astrid stared before pitching forward and coughing out the remainder of her teeth. The hallucination didn’t get closer, but it did crouch down so she could look into his eyes with little effort.

“The first time is always the hardest.” the figment of her pain spoke.

Blinking, Astrid looked at the figure before her and for a moment dared to believe what she was about to ask, “You’re really here and you’re not trying to kill me?”

He gave a sad smile, and shook his head, “No, I’m not here to kill you and I am definitely real.” His voice was slightly nasally, but comforting, soothing. He was a balm she didn’t expect.

Astrid’s next thought was lost as her right arm began to elongate and promptly snapped to form a second joint. In a bout of clarity, she thought it looked like the wing joint of the dragon she killed. Then the anguish of her body being involuntarily rearranged took over once more. Her throat raw from screaming, she barely managed a weak moan as she fell prone. 

As her breathing returned to normal, the stranger spoke again. “I can help relieve some of the pain, if you would like.”

Feeling her grasp on sanity slipping much like sand through her fingers, Astrid found a small reserve of energy to look at this stranger, too exhausted to give a verbal reply. She heard the man come closer and stopped directly in front of her. He knelt down and brought his hands just shy of touching her face, “May I touch you?”

Unable to stop herself, Astrid snorted and mumbled a barely decipherable “Sure”.

If he was going to kill her, it would certainly help alleviate the pain she was in and surely that would be a mercy compared to what the village had planned for her. Was it not?

His hands were calloused and firm, yet he exceedingly gentle with her as he raised her head up to look into green eyes. She was struck by the image of Evergreens swaying in a gentle wind, calming, caring and beautiful. Astrid nearly missed that he started to speak again, lost as she was in those green eyes.

“You were bitten by a dragon.” It was a statement, not a question. “You don’t have much time left before your transformation will be complete and you will be lost in the mind of the very dragon that bit you. If you don’t want to lose yourself to the pain and dragon you need to do what I am about to tell you.”

Hanging on to every word, she motioned for the man with beautiful eyes to continue.

“Accept the change happening to you and seek out the dragon raging inside you. Make peace with it and complete the journey together.”

Astrid felt her jaw hanging open and she could only accept that she had finally snapped from the night’s trauma, “You’re mad… I can’t… I won’t… how could you even think that is an option?! It’s not uuuuuugggghhhhhhh possible!” Her spine was doing something she couldn’t describe and was desperately trying to ignore.

His sad smile returned and she felt him raise her face so she was looking into his wonderful eyes once more. Slowly she watched as his left eye grew brighter green and took on a draconic appearance. Astrid blinked several times to ensure she wasn’t seeing things.

“Not mad, just speaking from experience.” He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, wiping away the tears. “You can do this, call out to the dragon and make peace. It chose you for a reason.”

As iHelish as her night had been, this took the cake for her and she was ready to tell the stranger to just let her be, until her head started to crack open. She saw the horns from the dragon she killed and how they would grow out of her own skull. Terror of experiencing that was enough for her to push her doubts and try the outlandish advice of the stranger, she looked into his now two acid green draconic eyes and closed her own. 

She focused on a rage that steadily grew as she became more dragon and less human. Lost in her fear of turning into a monster, she pushed away the anger writhing through every fiber of her being. Now she sought it out and her world went black.

Blissfully, Astrid found herself free of the pain wracking her and in front of a familiar waterfall. Confused by her new surroundings, Astrid took stock of her situation. Looking down she found her human feet planted firmly on the ground, reaching up she ran her fingers through her intact hair and scalp. Letting out a breath she smiled and ran her tongue over her non-draconic teeth. 

Astrid came out of her reverie when she felt as though she was being watched. Turning slowly to her left, she found herself facing a beautiful Deadly Nadder, with a vibrant blue hue on its… no her scales. Standing over ten feet tall, the dragon turned its bird like head and stared down at Astrid with its right, golden eye. Everything about the dragon shone in a dangerous beauty.

“By Freya, you’re gorgeous…”

Ridiculous as it was, Astrid felt the dragon beam at the compliment. The nadder stretched her intact wings out and raised her head so Astrid could see all of her. Tears of joy at witnessing something this pure welled in the corner of her eyes. Without concern for her own safety Astrid reached up to touch the dragon, but was met with a wary eye. 

Astrid was awash in emotions, hers and the dragons. Fear, anger, mistrust, curiosity, and hope. Holding her hand up, refusing to show fear Astrid felt her mind racing trying to think of what to do and remembered that strangers calming voice and his advice.

“Make peace and continue the journey together.”

Swallowing her apprehension, Astrid looked the dragon in the eye. “I’m sorry for killing you. I came after you for my own gain, to prove I was capable of handling my life without interference from my village, and I used your life to do that. It was wrong.”

To her own surprise, Astrid knew it was the truth as she spoke. She never apologized for her actions, they were her own and she was always confident in what she decided. She had to be to keep moving forward and not be doubted. Although she had to admit that she never faced consequences such as this for being wrong before, but she was Astrid The Fearless and she would accept whatever came from this interaction. With her head held high.

The nadder continued to stare at Astrid, unblinking, assessing, and judging. Then without much preamble the dragon lowered head and pushed her snout into Astrid’s outstretched hand.

Images, memories that did not belong to Astrid flew before her minds eyes. 

She had been escaping trappers that killed her young, tore her wings and poisoned her as she escaped. Disoriented and slowly losing her eyesight, she found her way to the forest surrounding Astrid’s village. The nadder knew she was pursued, ended up by a waterfall where she met her end but not before passing her essence on.

Lost in her own thoughts, their shared thoughts, Astrid didn’t know what to make of the Nadder passing on her essence and into her. The notion seemed impossible, foreign yet it had happened. A possibility came to Astrid, one of redemption for her brash act against this wondrous creature.

“Please give me the chance to atone for what I did to you. Help me prevent this from happening to another, together.”

She felt an eternity pass as she waited with bated breath for the dragon’s response. It came with a simple thought of acceptance. 

Astrid gave a grateful laugh and rubbed the Nadder’s snout. “Thank you.”

Feeling the world going dark once again, Astrid felt giddy and couldn’t help but repeat over in mind. 

“Her name is Stormfly.”


	2. You're Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid and Stormfly have accepted each other and now complete their transformation. Who is the man that helped them and what other unexpected changes await them?

Astrid could only scoff at her sixteen year old self during the summer she grew two inches. The aches she was currently experiencing were thirty of those summers, all at once, crammed into a few minutes. She would happily take the inconvenience of needing a new pair of leggings every two weeks like she did that summer over whatever was about to happen to her now.

Astrid appreciated that the few sharp pains and constant aches were a welcome change from the torture she was experiencing earlier in her escape. She wasn’t alone in her transformation either. In place of a wizened crone telling her she was experiencing her growth into adulthood, she had Stormfly. She was sharing the sensations, supporting her with… Love? Adoration, perhaps? Astrid could not find the right way to describe the emotions she felt washing through her, but it gave her strength and a constant reminder she would always have an ally. 

Astrid took a deep breath and gagged. Still hunched over on the ground the dirt emanated a sickenly sweet smell of decaying leaves and grass, a hint of rancid mildew, with an undercurrent of fresh rain. Her sense of smell was hyper aware of even the most subtle scents. 

Flexing her arms, Astrid pushed herself upright and nearly fell on her ass. It felt like three people had pulled her up with invisible hooks, yet no one helped her to stand. Was she stronger? She looked at her shoulders as the pulling released, like the ropes had been let go and it was just her again. Her focus was pulled away when she felt the strangest sensation dragging across her arms. Raising her arms up she watched as the skin sloughed off painlessly. 

Blue dragon scales came in place of her skin. Running her hands over them she marveled at the firm and smooth scales, like studded armor, the little spaces in between her new scales hypersensitive to her touch. It felt protective, it was living armor for increased movement, a wonderful improvement compared to anything she could buy or make. 

Astrid’s body went rigid. A surge of adrenaline rushed through her body as her mind recalled the time she dislocated her shoulder, and the same terrifying strain was happening all over her body as it began to expand. The arms she had been admiring now sent a fresh wave of terror through her as they started to elongate. Her hands and fingers turned a brownish-black. 

The growth pushed her body to its limits and beyond. The sound of a thick branch snapping a sharp, loud, and sudden noise. She heard it before she felt it. In place of the branch or branches it was her bones snapping, the pain couldn’t be masked this time by her new bond. Astrid experienced each break as though some massive creature bent her bones like a twig to shatter effortlessly. She was getting taller and the healed bones felt heavier, although her new malformed limbs each seemed to have the weight of five shields.

Her ribs were the worst part. She saw a butcher take a sheep’s stomach and attach it to an air bellow making it expand to ten times it original size once. Astrid’s ribs suddenly felt like that sheep’s stomach as they shattered and reformed to four times their original size.

Her lower back started to itch as the pulling led to her spine extending as a new appendage grew at its base. Its dagger-like spines were coated in a poisonous residue. It flexed, and the spines stood up ready for launching at an enemy or for stopping prey.. It was a tail, and it was dangerous, and she loved it. 

The growth of Astrid’s skull started as a dull headache and quickly grew to the worst migraine she ever experienced. Forcing her eyes closed to somehow minimize her agony, she noticed the pain became pinpoint along the back part of her scalp. She screamed as bony nadder spines grew out of her skull. The pain throbbed and grew as she felt her skull split and grow larger. She had been hit by a warhammer before, it dented her helm beyond repair and left her bedridden for a week. Every other second was that very warhammer on a different part of her skull, reforming it to suit her invisible assailant’s desired shape.

The pain made time inconsequential, her breath pointless, as she lay in the dark in agony. Suddenly, it stopped, she no longer felt herself getting taller, stronger, heavier, she felt herself getting warmer. A gentle candle flame of heat in her gut grew to suffuse her entire body and steadily grew warmer, hotter, but it never burned her. 

A new bout of emotion pressed against her own from Stormfly, holding her safe from the nightmares,the terror, and the pain, the way her ax and shield used to, as her dragon fire was kindled. 

Astrid took in a deep breath, her heightened sense of smell took in the damp ground, the burgeoning forest of evergreens, the hint of burning torches carried on the southern wind. She settled and opened her eyes, the surrounding area was cast in a twilight illumination to her new eyes. Her body settled, but her mind started processing everything that had happened. She ran from her home as the dragon’s curse started to change her, her body was being ripped apart, she somehow found the strength to confront the dragon raging inside her and completed the transformation. That was it, now she was a dragon, the mob was still chasing her from the smell of torches she picked up, she had no home, no belongings, and no idea what to do. 

Astrid looked up into the sky and screamed. 

Her scream came out as dragon roar. Anger suffused her entire being, and with it came the will to light a fire to her fury. The Nadder flame was a bright yellow in the dark night sky, lighting the surroundings for several seconds. As the flame guttered out, so did Astrid’s anger. 

Astrid felt her anger giving way to despair, it washed over her faster than a raging river. She would have drowned in it, if not for Stormfly nuzzling her in support. It was a life line, strong, secure, and a statement she would not be alone. They were joined in body and mind.

Astrid stretched out her wings. She wasn’t sure how she missed the growth of the membranes, or the support bones running down the length of each wing. Probably happened when my skull was being split apart. She gave a slow downward pump. Stormfly pushed her desire to take to the sky, nearly overpowering Astrid’s control over their shared body. It was tempting to let Stormfly take over and share in her joy of flight. It was intoxicating, for the sky brought liberation from the earth. The sky was the natural home of dragons.

“You truly are a gorgeous dragon.”

Slightly startled, the joint pair cast their eyes about looking for the man they had forgotten, the one who helped bring them together. Looking down they saw him and turned their head so they could see him completely. Astrid considered him in a new light, he was far more handsome than she noticed before. 

Stormfly took a chance to assess this new human. It was a male, possibly a younger adult, he did not put off any intent of harm, and wore a larger black second skin over his body. Taking in a short sniff Stormfly gave off a surprised squawk. Astrid drew herself away from her own appraisal at her new partner’s shock. She couldn’t process the flood of jumbled concepts as they overwhelmed her. 

Her focus on the onslaught sent by Stormfly, Astrid’s hold on their physical form loosened allowing Stormfly to bow their head at the stranger in gratitude. Astrid caught the motion and decided she wasn’t exactly inclined to go that far for a stranger and instead compromised by nuzzling the man’s chest. It would be an acceptable form of gratitude, right?

Leaning down they slowly pressed into his chest and cooed lightly, nuzzling up and down. He laughed and Astrid and Stormfly could feel it reverberating through his chest. He brought up his left hand and gently rubbed the space behind their nose horn. It sent chills through their body causing them to purr. 

“By the gods, I haven’t seen a Nadder as beautiful as you in years. I don’t think I can do you justice in words, and for that I’m sorry.”

The voice was still slightly nasally, yet it only made Astrid blush and Stormfly beam at the praise. There was still a torrent of thoughts and emotions concerning him that Stormfly was sharing and Astrid could not grasp the meaning. Mentally she turned towards the dragon and put voice to her confusion, I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. Stormfly paused briefly before sending thoughts similar to what she had been attempting to convey earlier. It didn’t change Astrid’s lack of understanding. Whatever Stormfly was trying to get across was just too foreign for Astrid to comprehend.

Astrid was considering how to get the dragon’s attention to put some order to these wayward concepts and get her own mind in back on track of what to do next.

That was until he started scratching along the base of their jaw and nearly dropped them from pure bliss. 

He laughed again, “Is it safe to say you two found a common understanding?”

Astrid and Stormfly begrudgingly left his godlike pampering and nodded.

He smiled, it was lopsided, crooked and for Astrid, adorable. Stormfly chittered at her, similar to when a friend teased her for a crush she had on the captain of the guard when she was twelve. Astrid balked at Stormfly, clearly sending the thought of I do not!

The stranger was starting to say something else when he paused and looked around Astrid and Stormfly, from the direction they had been running not… how long ago was that? It felt as though days or weeks had passed. Finding the moon, Astrid noted there was barely a change in position from she went to make peace with Stormfly. Minutes? Maybe ten or twenty at most?

Pulled out of their reverie, the man before them started to speak once more.

“It’s time for us to take our leave. The people chasing you are fairly determined it would seem. Normally I would ask you to fly in dragon form with me but since this is your first time to transform, you would drop from exhaustion before we got halfway to my camp. I’m going to ask you to extend your trust a bit more and turn back to your human form. I’ll carry you myself.”

He looked into their eyes, naked trust evident and Stormfly was sold, Astrid felt more hesitant. She felt stronger than ever before, she didn’t know why they should run when they could simply fight or scare off their pursuers. Stormfly squawked at her, images of torn wings, poison burning her veins, and an axe to the neck flooded Astrid’s view. Chastened, she sighed and acknowledged she would trust Stormfly on this decision.

They looked back to the stranger and Stormfly took charge, nuzzling the man and bowing to show acceptance of his leadership.

He smiled, “Thank you for trusting me. Okay to turn back you need to ask your dragon to rest. You are asking her to give up control, so she may fight you on this. Promise her something in return for acquiescing to your wish. Eating her favorite food, going for a flight, or playing her favorite game. Whatever it is, be sure to follow through or she won’t be as forgiving next time.”

Closing their eyes, Astrid asked Stormfly to rest and let her take point. The dragon threw a small fit of stepping back and Astrid was strongly reminded of a toddler. Astrid decided to take the man’s advice, she should really get his name and asked what Stormfly wanted in exchange for letting Astrid be in control. Stormfly halted in her tantrum and sent an image to Astrid. “Is that all?” She received an affirmative coo, and Astrid promised to make it happen.

Again a strange vibe reverberated through her body as Stormfly laid down and closed her eyes. Their dragon body began to shrink. Tighter, more compact, the muscle condensed but didn’t lose their power, her bones felt just as strong, her senses remained heightened and the aches returned with a fury. Her wing membranes retracted into her quickly reforming arms, the talon split into five digits and her blue scales melded together becoming her pale skin tone. She had to admit that her scales were rather pretty.

The horn on her face shrunk and her vision became centered once more. The itching on her scalp returned but heralded the return of her hair. Her tail was probably the strangest retraction, the pressure in her lower back was not painful and she didn’t know how much she could take space-wise. Then it went away, she reached around with freshly reformed hands to feel a smooth back and no tail pressing from the inside. Finally, her feet joined the rest of her body in returning to its human design. Five toes attached to pale white feet. Astrid couldn’t suppress the grin and human teeth. She knew the draconic improvements were still there, but she did rather like her human body as she grew up with it. 

A few immediate differences caught her eye-first being was her muscle definition. Astrid had never slacked in her training, she was proud of the body she earned through hours of an intense workout. It was a body built for a warrior. The one thing she was unable to prevent was the slight layer of fat her body stubbornly held onto when she had officially entered adulthood. It gave her a curve she lacked in her teenage years, and regrettably the attention of idiotic men and the occasional woman. 

Now, it was gone. The curves remained but it was corded muscle, lean, defined and ready to spring at a moment's notice. This was a nice change, she could have some form-fitting clothes that didn’t have to take into account that little extra layer. Speaking of which, where were her clothes. 

Astrid realized at that moment she was as naked as the day she was born. Glancing around she saw the tattered remains of her evening attire, simple leggings, and an oversized tunic. Both nothing more than rags. That was a complication she had not considered, nor the sensitivity of her skin to the wind. It was a mild breeze, not really cold, she just felt it caress her body and it ended with her nipples hardening from the touch. Her eyes bugged out at that, she looked down and found that being naked did include her breasts and vulva being exposed as well. 

As her brain started working once again, the thought of the strange man getting probably the best show of his life was momentarily overshadowed by the adjustments she saw to her aforementioned areas. Her breasts had sadly not gotten smaller, they had firmed up and no longer needed the support of a wrap to stay aloft and where the Hel was her pubic hair?! In fact, she didn’t have a hint of hair below her neck now that she thought about it. 

Fortunately, she was drawn away from her questions when a warm, black cloak was wrapped around her. Directing her eyes back to the man, two things immediately came to mind. His body was leaner than she initially thought, though corded with its own muscle and the two gigantic, black dragon wings attached to his back. Astrid found herself speechless more from his wings than being seen naked.

“A million questions and I will happily answer what I can when we get somewhere safer.” He spread out the wings, and Astrid felt Stormfly stir in appreciation at the display. “I’ll need to hold on to you for this journey, is that going to be okay?”

Swallowing, Astrid’s hands and fingers worked on instinct to fasten the cloak around her neck. Giving a slight cough, she found her voice did in fact still work, “I don’t suppose there is another option, now is there?”

He gave her a brief grin and shook his head, “Not if we want to get there before the sun rises.” 

He opened his arms and waited for Astrid to make the choice. “At least he doesn’t expect me to just do as he says and asks first.” 

Blowing out a frustrated breath at her lack of options, she walked forward into his outstretched arms and nodded. He wrapped her up and it felt comforting, nice even.

“Thank you… I, uh… I didn’t get your name.” As close as they were, it was impossible to not see the blush forming on his cheeks. Astrid found this kind of charming and preposterous. For Thor’s sake, she was the naked one here! Body gone through Hel and back, yet he is the one blushing from embarrassment. She snorted before replying.

“Astrid, and who might you be?”

Oh now he was definitely embarrassed. The red was running down to his neck and she could hear his heart rate increase. It was beating a tattoo, like a large drum being beaten by a frantic performer. It grew louder the more she focused on it. Astrid was convinced his heart was going to beat through his chest.

“Hiccup.”

“Excuse me?” Startled out of her trance, Astrid jerked her eyes from his neck to his eyes.

“My name is Hiccup. Feel free to laugh when we are in the air.”

Astrid knew she shouldn’t, he was offering her safety from a murderous mob but her lips were traitors to her will and split into a wide, shit-eating grin. “Of course. Hiccup”

Shaking his head, Hiccup bent down and picked up Astrid in a bridal carry. Gone was his embarrassment, replaced by a look of mischief. “Hold on and try not to scream in my ears, they’re rather sensitive.”

Astrid could only manage a “Wha..” before Hiccup jumped and flapped his wings down, launching them into the air.

To her credit, Astrid did not scream. She yelped and wrapped her arms around Hiccup’s neck, squeezing tighter the higher they went.

“Astrid...could you.. *Cough* lighten up…”

Turning her attention to Hiccup’s face, she nearly let go when she saw his face turn red from her choking grip. 

“Sorry.”

Coughing, Hiccup took a deep breath before replying, “It’s okay. Happens.”

Feeling a bit safer, Astrid took the time to look around and admire how far out the forest stretched. To the south, she could make out the dim light of her village. Well not really hers any longer. They would find her torn clothes, shredded skin, and lost teeth; put it all together and write her off as a lost soul to a dragon’s curse. She no longer had a home. It wasn’t much, her family was dead and her friends were more acquaintances than anything else. Still, for twenty-two years she had called it home, and to suddenly be forced out left a hole in her she did not see being remedied any time soon. 

Sensing her disquiet, Stormfly crooned in her mind and sent her sympathies as she knew what it was to lose a home. Smiling at the kindred spirit within her, Astrid shook herself mentally and looked back at Hiccup. He was right, she did have a million questions and it would do her no good to randomly ask. Going back to her training when interrogating criminals, Astrid focused on what information she had gained through their limited interactions. He was like her in that he was part dragon, possibly the first one to reclaim his humanity, he had impressive control over his transformation and apparently could manifest any draconic features at will. He mentioned that her squeezing too hard “happens”, so has he flown off with people before? Were they the only two? 

Astrid decided that she needed to get an idea of what she was capable of in case she needed a quick escape. Self-reliance first. 

“Hiccup, do we have some time before we get to your camp?”

“We do.”

“Mind if I start working on that list of questions?”

He glanced over at her, damn those green eyes, and nodded.

Smiling, Astrid started with some basics about herself. “Will I be able to switch back and forth with my dragon form when I want or is there a trigger, like a full moon or something?”

“With training you can do it at will. Right now only moments of extreme emotion will allow a transformation to happen.”

“Does that include the partial changes you can do? Will I be able to grow just the wings and fly in my human form?”

Hiccup pursed his lips with that question. It was easy to see him processing how to answer her question. “Yes. That will actually be easier than a full change; however, my wings are permanent. After your first time, some changes remain. A sign of your bonding and new life as two beings in one body.”

Permanent changes, did that mean the strength and heightened sense? Only one way to find out. “So my increased strength and senses are part of that permanent change?”

“Yes and no. Every lycanthrope I have come across gets some form of improved physical body and improved senses. I’m saying there is a change specific to your dragon.”

Mulling this over, Astrid wondered what her changes were and if she could hide them. She wouldn’t be able to go into towns or interact with other humans otherwise. Carefully she started to run her fingers over her face, down her arms as best she could. She stopped when she felt Hiccup chuckling.

“You could always ask what your change is, you know.”

Biting back a sharp retort, he was holding her several hundred feet above the ground. “That would be nice.” Her sarcasm dripped into the words, unable to hold back that much.

Hiccup for his part did not seem to take offense. “What color are your eyes?”

Cocking an eyebrow she replied, “Blue”.

Turning his head to face her, she watched him assess her eyes. “Seems your dragon has graced you with a set of golden eyes. Even have the draconic pupil. Pretty easy to conceal if you need to go into a human settlement.”

Astrid blanked her expression, assessing if she had given away too much in her questioning. It was all fairly innocent, focused solely around her new abilities. Had she not given Hiccup enough credit to see through her line of inquiry? 

As though he sensed her unease, Hiccup gave her that lopsided smile.

“You’re not the first lycanthrope I have rescued and you’re definitely not the first who wanted to know if they could return to a life with humans. It’s a normal feeling, seeking out some semblance of your old life. I advise caution, but ultimately the choice on what you do is yours.”

He banked them to the west, heading towards the snow-capped mountain boundary of the forest and she noticed he began to descend. There were still possibly a million questions running through her mind and Hiccup had disarmed her intention without a bit of effort. Recollecting her thoughts, Astrid picked up on the scent of burning wood. Scanning the woods below, she picked up the faint stream of campfire smoke rising into the air. She looked to the east and saw the horizon beginning to brighten ever so slightly.

“How long have we been flying?”

“About two hours.”

Astrid knew she looked dumbfounded, it did not go unnoticed by Hiccup.

“You were admiring the view a bit longer than you might have thought, and that too happens.”

His voice remained warm, soothing and it helps keep Astrid centered through all of the unbelievable experiences she had in the last few hours. Nodding she looked back down and was amazed to see more than a simple camp. There were at least two dozen buildings, two of them were much bigger than the others and smoke was rising not from campfires but chimneys. There was a modest wooden wall surrounding the village, with four outlook towers posted at each cardinal direction.

Hiccup started a slow circle around the village, continuing his descent. Astrid saw a few people moving, possibly night patrol or those getting an early start to the day she couldn’t say. She was able to see each of the sentries wave to Hiccup as they glided past.

“Okay, I’m going to land in the middle of the camp.”

“I think you mean village.”

Hiccup chuckled, “Okay, village. Anyway, we’ll land in the middle and then head for one of the buildings to get you some clothes. After that, if you want to eat there should be something in the Great Hall and then we’ll find you a bed. May not have hit you yet, but you’re going to drop soon from exhaustion.”

Astrid felt skeptical about that statement. Hiccup had mentioned once or twice before, but she was anything but tired. Even with the little clothing she had on, Stormfly’s fire kept her warm the entire flight and she knew she could run non-stop for miles. Again Astrid opted for a schooled expression and simply nodded. No sense in bucking against Hiccup’s suggestions, yet. The afterglow of her bonding and transformation had worn away, the blind trust Stormfly had for Hiccup faded and Astrid’s caution took its place. He had not given her any reason to not trust him, but she would not be fooled by pretty words and first impression actions. 

Now if he just wasn’t so handsome with that firm, chiseled jaw, no hint of stubble and those damn eyes. She really had never seen such a shade of green before. If not for these and much more appealing attributes, it would make not trusting him a bit easier. Stormfly chittered again and Astrid internally groaned. These observations were obviously some side-effects of her and Stormfly’s bonding. The squawk of indignation was a protestation that Stormfly had nothing to do with her salacious thoughts. 

Coming to the center of the village, Astrid saw a few early risers stop to watch their approach and landing. Most had on a hood of some sort, shielding their heads from the early morning chill. One person went without. Astrid doubted there would have been a hood to contain so much red hair, not without a good bit of work. It was curly, fly away and generally just a mess but a contained sort of chaos. The woman came closest, placing her hands on her hips and looked at Hiccup with a bemused expression.

Hiccup finally landed and gently set Astrid on the ground. 

“Give your legs a minute, they’ll probably feel a bit like jelly.” Hiccup spoke softly, a steadying hand on Astrid’s back. 

Damn, he was right. Again. Slowly, Astrid bent each knee to allow her strength to return. The redhead decided to approach and address Hiccup directly.

“Find another one did ya, Hic?”

Astrid cocked an eyebrow at the woman’s accent. She couldn’t place it exactly, but she had briefly heard a mockery of it in the tavern back at her village… not her village. That place was off-limits, had to be or she could die. Shaking her head, she took a tentative step away from Hiccup and was pleased she didn’t collapse.

“That I did, Mer. Had half a village chasing her down. Got there to help with her first time, just barely though.”

Astrid watched the exchange and felt the sting of indignation. She was right there, and could speak for herself!

“Och, where are meh manners! Ah’m Merida, and you are?” The redhead, Merida, raised her right hand towards Astrid.

Reaching out and taking Merida’s hand she replied, “Astrid.”

Giving her a bright smile, Merida shook her hand and looked her over, “Pleasure, and if ah had ta guess you ha’ quite a nigh’?”

Astrid gave a small smile and nodded.

“Well let’s no’ keep ya out in the middle of the village half-naked!” Merida laughed and gestured for Astrid to follow her.

Looking back she saw Hiccup grinning like a fool. He was starting to follow when a voice called out to him. All three turned to the owner and Astrid froze as it approached. It stood easily eight feet tall, and lived up to every scary tale told over a campfire.

Astrid barely breathed out the name, “Werewolf…”

Transfixed as she was, she missed Merida’s sidelong glance and her slight upturn of the lip.

The werewolf came closer, it’s voice a deep bass and feral, “Hiccup. We need you in the forge. The silver needs to be applied and you’re the only one that can handle it.”

Hiccup let a small sigh, “Okay, I’ll be there shortly.”

The werewolf nodded, spared Astrid and Merida a quick glance and turned away. 

“Well Astrid, I’m afraid I need to leave you in Merida’s capable hands. I’ll be around so feel free to find me when you want more of those million questions answered.”

He gave both ladies his lop-sided smile, and turned to walk off wrapping his wings around his lithe body.

“Oh, hate ta see him leave. Love ta watch him go. Dontcha agree Astrid?” Merida teased Astrid and promptly roused her from inner thoughts.

“That was a werewolf.”

“Aye, and what of it?”

Astrid looked around the village once more, with a more critical eye. “Merida, what is this place?”

Turning back to the redhead she watched as Merida raised her right hand, and saw it slowly shift. Black fur began sprouting around it, her fingers elongated and black claws tipped each finger. The palm of her hand molded to form the pads of an animal’s paw. Then she saw it return to a white, freckled hand.

“Jus’ a place for lost misfits is all.”

Clarity bloomed in Astrid’s mind and eyes when Merida’s words hit home.

“Tha’s righ’ Astrid. Yer not alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those that commented on the first chapter and those that left kudos!
> 
> This story is a side project while I work on my huge fan fiction. With that being said I am aiming to keep updates on this to every 2 or 3 weeks. That will give me time to write out the chapters and then let me beta reader bleed... edit them to something acceptable. 
> 
> I am having a lot of fun writing this and hope y'all enjoy the ride with me!
> 
> If you find some aspects confusing or think I'm leaving things out, it's because I plan on explaining them in a later chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave comments if you have any!


	3. Your New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some changes are more apparent than others, and how will Merida help Astrid cope?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone that has been waiting patiently for this update, thank you. I got sick last week and it put me in bed for a several days. This chapter took a lot of work between me and my beta reader to get right. Enjoy!

Astrid stared at the woman with gold eyes in front of her. She drew in a sharp breath when she felt the smooth and cool surface of a mirror under her fingertips. She looked once more at the stranger before clenching her eyes shut.

‘Th...that’s not...that’s me…’

Her eyes opened slowly and her reflection stared back. Astrid moved closer to the mirror until she could only see her eyes. They were completely changed. They used to be a lovely sky blue, according to every idiot that flirted with her. Draconic eyes, through and through. Her pupils were slightly slitted. Now they were a light golden yellow with no white to be seen. 

They were unnatural, not something that belonged on a human. These were not eyes that people looked at and ignored. Astrid felt her heart beating faster, a rapid tattoo on her chest. 

‘I can just wear a hood and keep it low. Maybe wear a piece of cloth over them. I can make it work when I’m around people.’

Taking in a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Astrid willed her heart to slow down. She looked back into the mirror, into those gold eyes, and stepped back until she could see the rest of her face. Astrid scrutinized each feature and found them to be as she remembered. Ears were still round, a smallish nose, thin, pink lips and skin a healthy light blue.

Her face paled making her skin a thin cloud cover against the sky blue tone underneath it. Astrid tried and failed to draw a full breath. Her vision tunneled as she took in this new horror.

‘No. No. No. NO! I can’t hide blue skin! I’m marked. I’ll never be able to go into a settlement. This is a curse! This is…”

“Ow!”

Astrid rubbed the back of her head vigorously and looked around for whatever hit her. She was at a loss when she found herself alone, with no sign of anything capable of striking her. Then she heard the squawk. The dragon was angry. 

“What was that OW!”

Stormfly pecked Astrid between her shoulder blades leaving a burning sting. 

‘You don’t understand… how can I work, buy supplies or anything I need to in a human village looking like THIS?!”

Astrid threw up both of her hands, throwing the cloak behind her shoulders and exposing her naked form to the mirror. She looked over her body without seeing anything beyond the blue tint covering her entire body. Astrid could not breathe. She could never return to what she once looked like. She was an aberration.

Astrid flinched when Stormfly roared. She shared images of herself preening and caring for her blue scales. They shined in the sun, a testament to her beauty. The image blurred into Stormfly straightening Astrid’s hair, nudging her mentally into the safety of Stormfly’s presence. It was comforting, pushing away her concerns over her skin color and other changes. Stormfly chittered encouragingly as she took more control of their consciousness and allowed Astrid to relax and push away from her burdens. 

Feeling herself slip further into a semi-consciousness, Astrid watched through her window as her skin became a stronger tone sky blue than before. The realization was like a wave of ice water through her consciousness; Stormfly was starting to change into her dragon body igniting Astrid’s fear of losing herself. Astrid thought quickly over what she could do and chose the one option that worked before.

‘Stormfly… please, don’t change. I… I’m s… Look, blue skin and gold eyes are not normal for humans. I just need some time to adjust. Plus if we change how are we going to get you that, huh?”

Astrid grinned as Stormfly relaxed her will and settled back down. She nearly lost control. If not for Stormfly’s action, she may have surrendered to her panic. Sighing, Astrid pulled the cloak back around her body and prepared herself to find what else was different.

Stormfly caressed Astrid’s hair and breathed soothing coos. Astrid let the tension in shoulders release.

“Stormfly…”

Astrid’s cheeks warmed in embarrassment and welcomed the feel of Stormfly curling around her consciousness. Stormfly’s tail gently pushed her against the dragon’s warm abdomen, giving support emotionally and mentally. She had forgotten the one entity that would never abandon her. She would not face these alterations alone. 

Astrid saw the window shutters were closed and the door to the building was closed. She could hear Merida’s soft footfalls in sync with the cloth rustling gently across the wooden floor in the back room. Tentatively Astrid opened up Hiccup’s borrowed cloak and warily examined her new body.

She started from the top and worked her way down. Her once silvery blonde hair was now a darker golden hue, windblown from her flight with Hiccup. Her face remained unchanged in the few minutes since she last looked.

She cocked her head slightly to the right. She felt Stormfly do the same. 

Darker hair tone, bluish skin and new eyes. What else?

Glancing below her waist, then her legs, arms and then at each armpit she confirmed that she was indeed hairless below her neck. Her breasts remained unchanged as well. The muscle definition was even better in the mirror. Astrid gave herself an approving smile, appreciating the physical display of her strength.

So I don’t need a breast wrap, but I’m not going to walk around for perverts to ogle. I’ll figure something out.

Astrid pulled the cloak to the side, turned and admired her backside. The muscles in her back were more pronounced and her ass firmed up as well. Unable to help herself, she ran an appreciative hand down her hip. This was what she had envisioned she should look like with all the work she put into staying in battle shape. She now had a body that projected her years of dedication to training and fighting. Regardless of how much she drilled with her fellow guardsmen, there would always be that one pigheaded ass that doubted her skills simply because she had slight curves. 

Running her hand back up her side, Astrid paused, as the tips of fingers lingered over tiny, almost imperceptible ridges. She moved closer to the mirror. They made an uneven circular shape, hidden by the dark shadow of the cloak against the firelight. As she ran her hands over her skin, she looked closer. She had scales.

“Huh, wonder if they give me a little more protection.”

Stormfly sent a thought of similar curiosity and together they decided to find a safe way to test the theory out. 

Grabbing a log near the fireplace, Astrid tossed it onto the fire and watched the flames slowly crawl over the new fuel like a thousand tiny demons eager for the new meal.

She turned away from the fire as she heard Merida’s footsteps move closer to the door connecting the two rooms.

“Sorry abou’ tha’. Had ta make a few alterations. Had more than a few larger lycanthropes the las’ few rescues.”

Merida walked over to Astrid, a pair of pants, a long-sleeved tunic and a few pairs of boots in her arms. 

“Now let’s see how these fit.” She handed the pants and tunic over. 

Eschewing modesty, Astrid let the cloak fall open and pulled on the pants. They were a little loose-fitting, but had a cord running around the waist to adjust the fit. The color was a dull gray and made from a sturdy, if coarse wool. They scratched against her bare legs, but it wasn’t unbearable. Tightening them up, she unclasped the cloak and started pulling on the tunic made from the same material.

“My, my. Ah guess you take training seriously.” Merida playfully commented.

Astrid felt her face heat up and quickly jerked her tunic down. The comment was too close to what every jackass in the guard would say when she changed or was seen without her uniform on. She glared at the woman, and found her giving a friendly smile. 

“Ah mean’ nothing ta offend, jus’ acknowledging yer efforts.” She handed over three pairs of soft leather boots. “Ah hope one of those works, otherwise you’ll be goin barefoot.”

It was the first time Astrid could remember someone recognizing her efforts without having their ass put in the dirt first. Mentally sighing, she chose to let the comments go. 

Astrid took the boots and placed them in turn at the bottom of her foot. She found the second pair to be the closest fit and pulled them on. She looked at the mirror and figured the clothes would work until she found a way to get more. How would she get more clothes? She was without money and honestly had not a stitch to her name. It was all back in her hom… it was all gone. No money, no clothes, no axe. Astrid wiped her hands on her new pants. The room was growing warming, closer, making it hard to get a good breath of air. She was losing control of so many simple things in her life all from one night, last night. There was one way of gaining control of little things, but that took money. Astrid cleared her throat, find enough air to speak.

“I don’t suppose there’s a way to earn a living around here? I...when I…” 

Merida’s hand on her shoulder dragged her thoughts back to the present.

“It’s alrigh’. Yer no’ the firs’ soul we’ve helped back ta their feet.” Her voice was reassuring, motherly. It didn’t quite fit the fire she saw in Merida’s ocean blue eyes, yet it did. Astrid was reminded of a mother protecting her child from perceived harm. It was a bit confusing; She was a stranger to Merida and yet she suspected the woman was ready to fight for her safety. She smiled and nodded at Merida, silently accepting the help offered.

“Have ye had anything ta eat since yer first time?”

“No.”

“Och, daft boy. Probably forgo’ his damn bag again! Let’s ge’ ye to tha great hall before ye fall over!” Merida gave her a warm smile and wrapped the cloak over her again. Astrid breathed in worn leather, fresh pine needles, rain, and an undercurrent of smoke permeating the cloak without a second thought and felt a strange comfort in it. She hummed softly.

“He does smell good.” 

Astrid froze. Slowly peeking up, she saw Merida giving her a knowing look. She hadn’t been that blatant, had she? 

Merida chuckled and pulled her out of the hut. “Come on, ye can day dream over a hot meal.”

Astrid fell into step next to her guide, disturbed by her budding infatuation. She knew it had something to do with her joining with Stormfly, even if the Nadder had voiced her opinion stating otherwise. Perhaps it was the fact he helped her as she changed. He didn’t fear what she was becoming, there was no hate, only concern. He was concerned about her. Astrid’s cheeks grew warm with the realization. She recalled his evergreen eyes stared into hers, drawing her into the eye of her inner storm. His teeth were slightly crooked, his auburn hair was shaggy and hung just above his shoulders. Astrid remembered looking up at Hiccup when she had been brought to the village, so he was taller than her. He was lithe with lean muscles, and the definition was pleasing to Astrid’s eye. 

Astrid shook her head and took in her surroundings. They had passed a couple of homes in the village and were making their way past more. Each one was similar, a strong door and a glass window on the front, and a stone and mortar chimney coming out of the middle of the homes.

Astrid blinked and looked back at the houses. That’s a glass window. On each home. How can they afford that? It cost me half my monthly wages for a pair of glass jars and they weren’t even that well made. Those windows look high quality. Is everyone rich here?

The road was mostly dirt, but as they walked closer to the great hall the road became paved with cobblestones. She had heard of larger towns doing this, cut back on issues of impassable roads due to mud, but it was expensive. This is ridiculously expensive! How are they able to afford this, or the very least how can Hiccup afford this if he’s in charge here? Is he taxing these villagers into poverty? It doesn’t look like that, I should ask Hiccup the next time I see him, or Merida might know.

Lost in her thoughts again, Astrid hadn’t noticed she was being guided into a seat until her ass hit solid wood. 

Casting her eyes about she found herself in one of the two large buildings she saw in the air. Taking a moment she looked around the inside of the structure. Looking to the right was a solid wall with columns spaced evenly down the length. Between the columns the free space was filled with tables and chairs for villagers to eat, drink, and whatever else they would need. The ceiling arch up, making the center space feel cavernous as she looked up. More tables and benches filled in the rest of the hall all the way to the other wall where matching columns stood. At either end of the hall was a large window allowing in natural light. More glass. The wood along the walls was dark and well cared for as she saw minimal scarring and rot. There wasn’t any decorations or carvings along the walls, they were bare. This should be the center of their meetings and celebrations. Why is it so basic? 

Several tables were pushed together end to end, with a growing number of people were finding seats with their breakfast. Astrid found a few couples eating together and more single individuals taking the nearest empty seat. They were mostly close to her age, perhaps few younger and one or two that were clearly older than her. They ranged in body build from slim to slovenly, and the animal characteristics were as varied. The hall could easily be mistaken for the one she grew up eating in, save for there was no children. 

Before Astrid could voice her observation, Stormfly chittered excitedly. Astrid turned her attention to the dragon and had her sense of smell assaulted with the aromas and scents of the mead hall. 

“Seems tha cooks have porridge, bread, honey, fish, and chicken available this mornin’. Wha’ would ye like, Astrid?”

“Chicken!” The excitement was not hers alone, Stormfly was practically drooling.

Merida snorted. “Chicken it is.”

Soon enough Astrid found three steaming roasted chickens, each one slightly charred and dripping out their inner juices. Behind them was a fresh loaf of hot white bread, the aroma slightly sweet and welcoming. A jar of honey, and a pitcher of watered wine rounded out Astrid’s immediate breakfast selection. Stormfly was crowing, and doing her version of a happy dance throughout Astrid’s being. 

Astrid watched her right hand grab the nearest drumstick and ripped it free. The meat was hot, tender and juicy and tore easily between her teeth. She found it savory, the juices coating over the entirety her tongue and running down her face, eliciting a new spike of flavor as she chewed. When she finally found the will to swallow and be parted from the joy that one bite offered, it slid down her throat like velvet. Each bite a reward. Different and the same. Stormfly crowed and eagerly grabbed the next available piece of chicken to continue the journey of devouring what had been promised and delivered.

Merida calmly ate her porridge with berries and honey, occasionally checking on her newly acquired charge, ensuring she didn’t choke on the food she was inhaling. She couldn’t help but smile at the gusto the blonde was exhibiting in consuming her meal. 

Astrid breathed out in contentment. That was the best chicken she had eaten, ever. Half of the bread and honey were gone. She didn’t even remember eating those. Pausing, Astrid looked down at the scraps in front of her in dismay. Was this another side-effect of her new body? Eating enough for eight men or was this because Stormfly loved chicken just that much?

“Ah will never grow tired of tha’ look righ’ there.”

Astrid looked at Merida’s grin, she seemed to make Merida smile a lot with her actions.

“Donnae worry. Yer body will adjus’ ta the requirements. Tha firs’ time takes a lot out of ya. Yer whole body was transformed, it takes a lot of energy.” 

Merida reached across the table and patted Astrid’s hand. 

“Before we find ye a bed, mind if ah ask a few questions?”

“Only if I can ask some in return.”

“O’ course!” Merida beamed and pushed her bowl to the side. “Now firs’ things firs’, wha’ is yer soul creature?”

Astrid furrowed her brow, “Soul creature?”

“It’s wha’ some of us call the beast living inside with you now.”

“Oh. Mine is a dragon, a Deadly Nadder”

“Tha’ is something special there! Only one otha in the village tha’ has a dragon and ye already met him.” Merida gave a wink and Astrid couldn’t fight back the mild warming of her cheeks. Merida motioned for Astrid to ask one of her many questions.

“I saw the paw earlier, what is your soul creature?”

“A bear, big one. Her name is Elinor.” Astrid wasn’t positive, it passed quickly, but Merida looked slightly ashamed. 

“Aside from ye pretty eyes, any other permanent changes ye noticed?”

Pulling up her left sleeve, Astrid showed Merida the pattern on her skin. “Scales. I’m not sure if it just the shape, or if they provide extra protection, but they also have given me a slightly blue coloring. My hair is slightly darker on my head, and I don’t have any hair below my neck anymore.” 

Why was she opening up to this stranger like an old friend? She knew better, yet she did not feel guarded about her openness. It was like she did not know to be wary, and judge each statement and action. She felt nothing. She should be reserved, pulling out information at every opportunity and using it to keep herself safe. She was acting against her best interests, time and again. It was disorienting as she argued internally for caution and she refused to listen to herself.

“Ye mind if ah touch them? Ah only ever fel’ Hiccup’s and tha’s when he’s transformed.”

Astrid bit her tongue to prevent herself from replying without thinking. Staring at the woman across from her, Astrid could not explain why, she only knew she could trust that Merida wasn’t trying to harm her. 

“Go ahead.”

Her fingers were calloused, her touch was comforting. Astrid saw a growing chasm of ignorance in her mind. She went with whatever was told to her five minutes after turning into a dragon then back human. It was easier to then to just accept what was being told and not dig deeper for understanding. That was then and this is now, she could ask questions and get answers.

“Merida.” Looking back to her eyes, Astrid pressed on, “Why should I trust you? Why are you treating me like I am harmless? You don’t know me, I don’t know you but every instinct is telling me you won’t harm me. That’s not normal. What is going on with me?”

That was way more open and blunt than she had intended. Shit.

For probably the first time today, Merida didn’t smile instead she searched Astrid’s eyes for something. She flicked her eyes from Astrid’s left to right eye, piercing each with simple curiosity at first. Astrid leaned back involuntarily when Merida’s eyes pressed down on her with an intensity she hadn’t experienced since her first day of guard training.

“When ye look at meh, wha’ does yer dragon tell you?”

Gathering her wits, Astrid took a breath. She looked at the woman before closing her eyes and seeking out Stormfly. She found the dragon laying on a grassy knoll, snoozing after the small feast of chicken. Astrid smiled fondly as reached down and stroked Stormfly’s snout. “Hey girl, I need a second opinion about our hostess. Care to help me out?” Stormfly blinked before pressing her snout in Astrid’s hand. Together they turned their eyes to Merida.

Fiery red hair, organized chaos and curly. Her milky white skin covered in freckles from her face to any exposed skin. Her blue eyes, where people held their secrets. Deeper and deeper Astrid and Stormfly went seeking out something, anything to give them a clue Merida’s true nature. 

Stormfly found the answer first. She conveyed respect, goodwill, fighting spirit, an equal. The last thought confused Astrid. Stormfly found Merida to be equal to them? A bear equal to a dragon? Astrid scoffed mentally and Stormfly chided her. One final set of thoughts came across, mother and mate.

“Wha…” Astrid was thrown for a loop with the last assessment from Stormfly.

“Wha’ did yer dragon see?” 

“Stormfly didn’t see anything bad. She respects you as an equal. I don’t know what to make of that.” There she went saying more than she should.

Merida nodded as she considered Astrid’s words, “More or less tha same ah got from our initial thoughts on ye.” Taking a small sip, Merida continued “Ta answer yer las’ question, what’s goin on in ya is ye have a second opinion guiding yer choices. It’ll take time ta separate yer thoughts from, Stormfly?” Astrid nodded “From Stormfly’s thoughts. Ah found our soul creature’s usually have good instincts abou’ people we meet.”

Astrid tore a hunk off the remaining loaf of bread. She slathered a healthy portion of honey on it before taking a bite. Mulling over her thoughts as she chewed. 

“Wha’ did ye do in yer ol’ home?”

Astrid swallowed and downed some of her watered wine, “Town guard. Part of the scouts.”

“Did ye leave any family or loved ones behind?”

“No, family is all dead and wasn’t really one to make close friends.”

Merida hummed at that and waited for Astrid to ask a question.

Astrid was given more time to consider her next words as group of villagers stopped by and greeted Merida. Astrid watched as Merida acknowledged each in turn, offering a warm hello or quick question about their family or work. That would drive me insane, it already kinda is and I’m not even talking to them. Astrid shook her head and took another sip of wine. She choked as the last person left with a request for Merida to tell Hiccup hello. 

Merida looked over at her with mild concern, “Are ye alrigh’?”

Astrid nodded. Well that solved what she would ask next.

“Is it normal for…” gods was she blushing again?!

“Normal fer wha’?”

“Normal to have… attractions… that wouldn’t have been there before the change?”

She was going to kill Merida if she didn’t get that damn look off her face. Like a cat teasing its favorite toy.

“Anyone specific?”

Astrid was convinced her glare would have set anyone else on fire.

“Ah hope ye’ll forgive meh teasin! Yer the firs’ rescue we’ve ha’ in abou’ two months.” Merida held her hands up in a placating motion.

Astrid pursed her lips and ripped off another bite of bread. Stormfly was suspiciously observant, not giving an opinion one way or the other.

Merida seemed content with Astrid’s silence and gave a smile Astrid saw mother’s give a child when they explained something difficult or abstract. Her motherly smile didn’t fade as she spoke.

“That’s hard ta sae, Astrid. Ah’ll do meh best though.”

Merida paused to refill her cup and take another drink. Astrid figured she was gathering her thoughts to explain an obviously difficult topic. At that she allowed herself a sense of accomplishment. Finally asking the right questions.

Merida looked around as the hall began to fill and the ambient noise of conversations made casual conversation difficult. Astrid watched her stand up, “Follow meh. We’ll go somewhere a bi’ less crowded.”

Astrid followed Merida out, dropping her dishes in a collecting bin by one of the columns supporting the hall. Walking slightly behind her, Astrid studied Merida and found she walked with a centered gait, never off balance. Her hostess clearly had some training. Astrid wagered Merida was far fitter than she let on.

The sun was two-finger widths above the horizon now and with it the rest of the village was out and about getting their day underway. Astrid noticed the curious glances and outright stares at her, and reverence directed at Merida. That was not something Astrid was prepared for and only broadened the questions she needed answered. Questions she should be asking first and not about her stupid emotions and hormones not staying in check!

They came up to the west watchtower. The tower was barely behind the town wall and stood about ten feet above the wall. The four legs of the tower had planks crisscrossed between them for support, and a ladder extended down from the opening. There was a half wall going around the tower and it had a roof to keep the elements off the guard’s head. This part of the village was mostly the homes Astrid saw earlier.

“Ah’ll keep an eye ou’ while ye feel yer belly! Go on! Ah won’t be taken no for an answer.” Merida called out, her tone jovial but with an edge of gravity to her words. The guard came down a ladder and took off her helmet.

“Okay Mam. I’ll go get breakfast, as long as you keep Gerard from crawling up my backside for it.” She was a small thing. Even with her armor, Astrid could tell there wasn’t much mass to the girl. Astrid was used to being the smaller guard but this girl made her look bulky in comparison. 

Merida nodded and cupped the girl’s face with her right hand, gently stroking her cheek. “Don’ ye be skipping out on any meals, ye hear meh?” The girl blushed and gave a meek smile showing off her sharp fangs. “Yes mam.” She nodded to both women and headed off.

Astrid saw the motherly action and child like reaction between the two women. There was relief at not being the only one Merida treated in such a fashion, but a slight pang of jealousy. Astrid rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

“Come on, we’ll be able ta talk up here withou’ any prying ears or eyes.”

Astrid stepped up onto the tower platform with Merida. The wood at her feet was worn smooth from countless boots walking back and forth. The half walls were roughly hewn, the top of them smoother at varying points from guards leaning against them. She scanned through the crenulation, inhaling the scent of dew evaporating off the pines and firs. A veritable ocean of green with a smattering of orange and yellow of changed leaves interspersed greeted her vision. Even with her improved eyesight she couldn’t see through the thick evergreens that dominated the surroundings. She could easily forget she was standing at the edge of a village.

“Not tha wors’ thing ta see each mornin” 

Astrid glanced at the woman beside her taking in the scenery as well.

“No. It truly isn’t. I guess this is something I’ll have to get used to.”

Merida turned to face Astrid as she replied, “Why would ye have ta get used ta it?”

Brushing the bangs out from her eyes, Astrid took in a deep breath, letting it out in a huff, “Because where else can I go?! I am a monster that will get killed if I show my face anywhere near my village! If I slip up and transform around the wrong person that will get me hunted or worse! I could hurt or kill someone without meaning to…”

A tear running down her cheek caused her to stop. “Then there’s this! I don’t understand why I am out of control with my emotions! My thoughts! Everything is spilling out of my mouth like a godsdamned greenhorn! I just. UUURRGGHHH!”

She slammed both of her fists into the wooden railing, the anger and confusion erupting beyond her control. The outburst, slamming her fists, spouting off, what the Hel?! She wasn’t fifteen anymore, she had better self-control than… this. She drew in ragged breaths and flinched when Merida’s hand touched her shoulder.

“Astrid. It’s okay. Ah’ve been exactly where yer at righ’ now.” Merida pushed lightly on Astrid’s shoulder, making the latter straighten up and look Merida in the eye. “Ye asked abou’ the infatuation ye normally wouldn’ have before tha change. It’s no’ unrelated ta yer other frustrations.”

Astrid watched Merida through blurry eyes. Tears leaving trails down her cheeks. She couldn’t be bothered to wipe them away, she was too tired. Tired of not having control. Tired of trying to understand. Just tired.

“It is hard ta put in words tha’ ye migh’ accept as more than a simple explanation. Basically yer mind and body is brand new. It looks tha same in some aspects and differen’ in others. Jus’ as ye have another mind workin’ along side yer’s, it’s no’ solely yer mind anymore. Nor is it yer soul creature’s either. Since yer bondin’ it is new, with traces of both yers and Stormfly’s… conditioning.”

Astrid was having a difficult time wrapping her mind the concept Merida was explaining. Her mental fatigue was taking a greater toll than she wanted to admit. She shook her head trying to chase the drowsiness fogging her mind. Why did her head feel heavier?

Merida continued, “All those years ye spent learning to temper yer emotions, desires, and curiosities is a...a lesson yer new mind has yet ta learn. Ah’m sure there will be things ye will do in yer dragon form tha will send Stormfly into fits tha ye don’ do righ even with her guiding ye.” 

Merida flashed her motherly smile. “So yes yer transformation is partly ta blame fer yer blantan’ crush on Hiccup.”

Astrid balked, “I never…”

Merida chortled, snorting as she caught her breath. “Astrid, did ye know a bear’s sense of smell is it’s strongest attribute? When a creature finds someone they like, desire, or love, they put off a unique scent. Guess wha’ ye smell like at tha mention of him?”

Astrid sat down against the half wall and put her head in her hands, bracing her elbows on her knees. Embarrassment and frustration. That was why she needed to sit down, definitely not her legs feeling like she was too heavy to hold her up.

She missed Merida’s furrowed brow as the woman took in Astrid’s slumped form. “Tha same goes fer yer body. Its new too. So yer gonna have ta teach it no’ to react again. Although ah think it’s time we get ya ta bed.”

Astrid barely managed to look up through her eyelashes at the motherly concern in Merida’s eyes. Astrid managed to grunt in agreement but made no motion to stand. Merida reached down and lifted her up without any strain. 

“How…”

“Come on lassie, give meh some credit. Ah did sae a big bear did ah no’?” 

Holding Astrid bridal style, Merida jumped off the guard tower and landed soldily on the ground below. “Sorry fer the abrupt exit bu’ yer about ta pass out and ah wan’ ya ta see where yer stayin.”

Astrid blinked owlishly at the surprising redhead. 

Merida set off at a brisk pace back to the center village, and asked a passing villager to man the watchtower till the guard returned. 

Astrid found herself nodding off as she was carried. She forced her head to turn from one side of the road to the other. Taking in any landmarks that could help her navigate back to where she had been. The houses blurred together as none stood out from the other. They passed the Great Hall and she could hear the clanging of a hammer against metal growing closer.

“Ah ah, come on Astrid, wake up fer jus’ a minute.”

Merida gently shook Astrid awake. Merida stood in front of a hall with oversized doors pulled open to let in the cool morning air. Setting Astrid down, Merida took her hand and guided her into the building which turned out to be a community lodge. The building was slightly smaller than the Great Hall, an open floor allowed for multiple beds and sleeping rolls to be laid out in a passable order. Along the wall were cutouts with individual beds near windows on both the lower and upper floor. The fire pit in the middle of the hall contained a low burning fire and was lined with a variety of stones to keep the flames contained. Astrid tried to take in more, but her brain refused to cooperate.

“What… is this?”

“Where ya start gettin’ back on yer feet, by firs’ gettin’ off them.” Merida took her to an unoccupied cutout. 

Merida helped lay Astrid down on the bed and pulled off her boots. Taking a blanket from a side cubby, Merida draped it over Astrid, pulling it under her chin.

“There will be more ta discuss after ye get some sleep. Jus’ find meh or Hiccup, okay?” 

Exhausted, Astrid nodded. She didn’t even complain when Merida brushed her bangs behind her ear.

“Ah know it’ll take time fer it ta feel like one, bu’ Astrid, welcome ta yer new home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! Leave those comments if you have any and kudos are awesome as well.
> 
> Originally I planned for this to be a 3 chapter fiction and that clearly isn't what is happening. I have outlined up to chapter 9 and need to start writing the next chapters. Now you are up to date on what's going on in the background!


	4. Queen of the Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merida and Hiccup have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is the chapter later than usual? Life is a busy thing.
> 
> My beta reader had life matters as well and was not able to do their usual edits. Apologies if this is a bit rougher than usual but I was as hard as I could be on myself to make it shine.
> 
> ENJOY!

Sunset had come later in the evening than the prior week and would continue to delay it’s appearance until the Summer Solstice came and went. Merida walked away from the west facing window in her and Hiccup’s house and took in the newest painting on the east wall. It was a map of the currently known land, as far as Hiccup flies, and had been expanded to account for a smattering of islands southwest of the main port city. That trip took Hiccup three weeks round trip. Sighing, Merida turned away from the painting and headed toward the fireplace connecting the main area and their bedroom. She stopped to grab her notes and reports from the day off the table they usually ate meals.

Merida pushed her cedar chair away from the table and closer to the fire, the four legs scraping lightly across the wooden floor. The dark-stained chair creaked softly as she settled herself, adjusting the skirt of her dress to prevent as many creases as possible. Sufficiently arranged, Merida leaned her head back, resting against the backrest and closed her eyes reminiscing over the day’s events. She worked backwards until she returned to her morning with the newest arrival in the slowly growing village. 

Finally. Ah’ve waited so long for someone like her.

Taking in a slow breath through her nose, Merida analyzed each scent that passed through the air. Burning wood from her fire and the dozens of others burning throughout the village, cooling metal in the forge, wet dog hair... Gerard’s just washed, mead and ale mixed with the putrid reek of vomit, and nearly a hundred more passing through her awareness. 

Where are ye…

A faint trail of rain and leather, freshly crushed pine needles, and the tiniest hint of forge smoke. 

There ye are… Ah suppose it is a good night for a quick flight.

Opening her eyes, she tossed another log into the flames to brighten the room. She grabbed the parchment and began looking over the most pressing of economical concerns. The food stores were holding steady since winter, but they had yet to recover to a point of weathering any type of crisis. Harvests would not be ready for several months, hunting meant going farther away from the village to prevent depleting local game populations, and foraging was always an option. Easiest path was to buy enough until they could restock on their own, yet that would further delay completing the villages roads. It would also take away from their silver supply.

Pursing her lips, Merida took one of the charcoal pencils lying nearby and worked out the figures of how much they needed. She smiled at the sound of the pencil scratching across the parchment, it always brought back memories of her first years with Hiccup. It drove her mad in the beginning, causing her to transform and chase him around for nearly an hour. Eventually she found the sound soothing, like a distant waterfall. 

Pausing, she looked over her estimates and frowned.

We’ll ha’ ta go south for tha’ much. Dammit, Hic will ha’ ta fly it back. We don’ have any way ta ge’ it back from tha’ distance. 

Allowing to parchment to fall to the side table, Merida picked the next report and groaned. 

O’ course the bloody glassmaker is low on sand! An’ who is the only one tha’ can ge’ more? Hiccup!

They had been taking sand from the coasts in the west. It was a vast shoreline and easy to take whatever they needed without being discovered. The problem, for Merida, was once again transport issues. Getting wagons through the forest required making roads. Constructing said roads would lead to people traveling to their village and that would undermine the whole purpose of what she and Hiccup had founded. A safe haven for people like them. 

So off Hiccup would go, by himself. Merida growled in frustration at not being able to go with him. Her hand stilled as she made to crumple the parchment into a tight ball. She barely managed to resist tossing the report in her fire to stop Hiccup from taking on another task. Fortunately for the glassmaker, Merida’s ire was headed off as her soul creature provided a voice of reason. The village benefited greatly from the glass as a regular commodity and high value export. Glassmaker takes his money, spends it in the village, giving others the means to buy needs, and so on the cycle continues. 

Merida let her growl die out, placed the report down with a touch more force than was necessary, and grabbed the last one. 

Finally, something tha’ doesnae need Hic flying all over!

The group assigned to paving the village roads were due back within the week and had gathered enough stones to finish the main road within the month. Now she just had to make sure there was enough money to pay the workers. If there wasn’t then Hiccup would just…

Jus’ take the next shipment of manacles ta the capitol, or take another bounty hunting job, or whatever it took ta pay everyone. So much for him having ta no’ go off on his own again.

Merida exhaled, feeling worn out and set the last report with the others. Sliding down in her chair she stared at the fire without seeing it. Her eyes turned to the thoughts roiling inside her mind and all culminating on the one problem she had yet to solve. Hiccup going on missions alone. 

Before they had founded the village she would go with Hiccup, watch his back while he had hers. There had been plenty of trouble for them, but they had each other and no one could stop them. Even as various rescues started to follow them and sought safety in numbers they continued to make take their missions as a team. Then their group of Lycanthropes grew from a small nomadic band to a cumbersome pack, and moving from camp to camp was no longer feasible. 

Merida’s fingernails pressed into her palms as she recalled the conversation of her and Hiccup deciding to found this village. Once they had the first few buildings and the outer wall built, Merida found she could no longer be more than a day’s walk away from her new home. It was a change given to her from her soul creature, Elinor. Why it hadn’t manifested sooner was never made clear, but from that day forward Merida couldn’t leave any of the villagers unsupervised for more than a day without becoming manic with anxiety. Like an overprotective mother checking that her children were still alive after stepping outside and every step after the initial.

Merida cringed at her actions during the first year. It was a miracle she had not chased away half the villagers from her constant oversight. Even with those many embarrassing moments, the worst side effect was being unable to travel with Hiccup. Years and years of wandering the world without consequence, and one good action for others ripped it away. 

Grinding her teeth, Merida straightened up in her seat. She hated the current arrangement. There was a new option available, she just needed Hiccup to see the validity of what could be. It was an old argument between the two of them, and never came to a resolution she was ready to accept. She considered the merits of having a drink before talking to Hiccup.

Too much mead and he’ll push aside mah points, not enough and it’ll do nothing for mah… what happened to the fire?

Merida blinked, looked to each side and found only pitch black surrounding her. She didn’t understand what had happened until her nose picked up the overwhelming scent of rain and pine needles surrounding her. Snorting, she tilted her head back and pouted. 

“Very funny Hic. Ye go’ meh!”

Chuckling, Hiccup opened his wings up and folded them behind his back. Never taking her eyes off Hiccup’s evergreen ones, the humor and love staring nakedly back at her. Leaning down he placed a soft, quick peck on her forehead before stepping around to get mead for the two of them. 

Taking the offered tankard, Merida watched Hiccup hook the main joint of each wing over the matching shoulder giving the appearance of leather blanket wrapped around his body. He left an opening at his chest so he could drink his mead. Sitting in his chair, Hiccup settled back allowing an amiable silence to sit between the two of them. Merida smiled and took in a deep breath through her nose, allowing Hiccup’s familiar scent to settle her stress and worries. It never failed to provide comfort. He was home, he was safe, and she could make sure he stayed that way.

“How was the weather?”

Hiccup smirked and sipped his mead before replying.

“Clear and cool for miles. No storms for tonight at least. How was the village today?”

Merida rolled her eyes and shook her head, letting her red curls obscure her irritation. She began with the most ridiculous of issues during the long day, a disagreement involving two wererat couples and nesting. Both of the women had managed to synchronize their cycles and it was growing close to mating.

“So the men are competin fer the better nesting spo’ in the home they all share, causing a ruckus. When I go’ there, they were pissin all over the place!”

Merida glared at Hiccup when he failed miserably to mask his laughter with a cough.

“Oh ye wannae laugh?! Yer no’ tha one tha’ had ta stand over two grown men and make sure they scrubbed up their damn mess!”

Merida dearly wanted to forget that entire encounter, but like many unique situations within the village she knew it would come up again. She chose to ignore Hiccup’s shaking shoulders in favor of continuing to work through her day. A few more minor disagreements that required an outside viewpoint to settle came about, and luckily nothing close to the wererats. 

Catching his breath, Hiccup gave a Merida a sympathetic wink, “Seems like I got the better end of today. Gerard was his usual charming self. Had a critique with every set of manacles I finished, but they’re done. Just need to get them to Gothi for a blessing, then the capital and we’ll have enough to avoid me doing any bounties for the summer.”

Merida sipped her mead and nodded. She kept her face impassive as she lived for the briefest of moments in that small dream. Hiccup at home for the majority of a year, not actively seeking out Lycanthrope bounties, and just being where she could keep an eye on him. It was cruel. He didn’t know that it wasn’t possible. She was just tired of this cycle of small possibilities being crushed by responsibility that fell in their laps time and again.

“How is our newest visitor settling in?”

Merida’s nose twitched imperceptibly. Cocking an eyebrow, she was unsurprised to find Hiccup studying the contents of tankard with interest. Turning away from melancholic thoughts, Merida refocused on her goal for the night.

This migh’ be easier than ah thought.

Merida hummed and tapped her chin. She had analyzed every moment she spent with Astrid in the morning. She was handling everything surprisingly well, and whether that was due to her own mental fortitude or an uncharacteristically smooth bond with her soul creature, Merida couldn’t say. If Astrid was the right person to recruit in protecting Hiccup, Merida had more confidence taking a stab at to make it happen.

“Ye mean after ye lef’ her half naked in the middle o’ the road?”

Oh he was just as easy to tease now as when they first met. The blush slowly crept up his face and into his auburn hair. 

“Mer… you know I got called away.”

“And lef’ me to pick up the work ye brough’ in.”

She waited for his right hand to start rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment before she laughed at his discomfort. Sticking her tongue out at Hiccup, he looked up exasperated and shook his head.

“Do you really have to give me a hard time about that?”

“Ah find it mah civic duty. No one else is gonnae do it.”

Groaning, Hiccup took another drink of his mead.

Merida missed these moments, they were coming less often as the village grew. More food, new jobs to find, and the list went on. 

“She has handled her firs’ day withou’ any major damage to herself or others. The guard tower will be needing repairs though. She managed ta irreparably damage one of the half walls.”

Merida sensed the worry permeating from her love. This wasn’t unexpected, more than one of their new arrivals required putting under lock and key after the initial change. The last few years had been fortunate for their rescues, they had all come around and accepted their new life. There had been those that had not been able to cope with their metamorphosis. Leading them to either succumb to their ferocity and be lethally dealt with or ended their own life. 

“It’s alrigh’ Hic, she was jus’ tired and coping with everythin’. She’s seems ta be handling her change better than anyone else we’ve had recently.”

Feeling his tension ease, Merida recounted the rest of her time with Astrid in detail. Her ravenous appetite for chicken, the physical changes that remained, and her questions. 

“Ah’m sure we’ll be answerin’ her questions fer some time.”

Merida watched as Hiccup processed the information. Sniffing the air once more, Merida nodded to herself and prepared for the inevitable argument she was about to start.

“Y’know she was a guard in her ol’ home. Par’ of their scouts. Used ta goin’ out and surviving in the wilds surrounding her home. Ah don’ know how skilled a fighter she is, bu’ she is at least trained if nothin’ else.”

Merida chanced a look at Hiccup, and he looked contemplative. “It’s a bit soon since we don’t even know if she wants to stay, but we could push her towards the guard. I know The Pride wouldn’t mind having eyes in the sky.”

O’ course he would be thinking of the village safety first. Spirits help me.

“Hic. While tha’ migh’ be a good job fer her, it’s no’ the task ah had in mind.”

Hiccup furrowed his brow, “O...kay. What did you…”

Realization flashed in his eyes, and Merida couldn’t stop from quickly glaring at him with exasperation. 

“Mer. No. We have talked about this, and it’s too dangerous for anyone but me out there.” His voice rose slightly in pitch, his shoulders tensed, arms flung up and waved around illustrating his stance on the matter. “We can’t trust anyone to keep me safe. It’s too much of a risk for all the reasons we have discussed over the years. Nothing has changed with Astrid being here.”

Glowering, Merida waited for him to finish but left no doubt to her displeasure with that particular reasoning. Usually the talk would end here. Not this time, not when Merida was going to show Hiccup that the situation had changed with Astrid’s arrival. He was gonna listen, or so help her she would make him.

“Hic. Ye cannae sae nothin’ has changed! There has never been someone like Astrid!”

“Mer it doesn’t matter” 

Merida gave into her frustration when Hiccup refused to look her in the eye as he stated his refusal. She leaned forward in her seat, her eyes bored into the side of Hiccup’s head. Her voice grew hard as she reminded Hiccup what his solo work cost her. 

“No! It does! Ah have stood back and le’ ye fly all over withou’ being able ta do nothin’ bu’ wait! Ta worry! Ta fear!”

Merida paused as Hiccup turned his head to look her in the eye. Taking a deep breath she continued.

“Ye never understood wha’ it did ta meh, wha’ it still does. Watching ye fly off, putting yerself a’ risk. Mah fucking inability ta follow because ah have ta be yer Queen and watch over our ‘children’. Ah have been patient Hic. Fer five years ah have waited fer the righ’ one to come along and now she’s here, ah will no’ sit back and le’ yer damn sense o’ duty as Alpha ta protect our pack keep ye from being safe yerself! Ah won’ le’ you ignore mah feelings about it any longer!”

She held Hiccup’s gaze. He was listening now and she wasn’t wasting it. 

“Two years ago ye made meh a promise Hic, do ye remember it?”

His adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed before speaking. “I do.”

“Ah’m asking you ta honor yer word. Astrid meets all those conditions ye made, at least on the surface. Astrid is a woman, she won’ slow ye down in the air, is a trained fighter, and she’s a Queen jus’ like meh. Once those were met, ye said ye would take tha’ person as yer guardian.” 

Merida had a finger raised for each requirement. In the darkest nights as she laid in bed alone, envisioning Hiccup hurt, captured, and on the worst of them, dead in an unmarked grave. She went back to those four qualities he demanded, and cursed herself for accepting them. Until this morning when he brought in Astrid.

“Mer” His voice was soft and slightly derisive, “she’s two of those if any at all. She can’t fly and we don’t know if she’s a Queen.”

“Don’ ye dare lie ta meh or yerself!” Merida growled and glared at Hiccup. She tapped her nose and whispered, “Did ye think ah would miss yer desire fer her? No other man or woman since we ha’ been together has ever caugh’ yer eye. Are ye gonnae deny it?”

She watched Hiccup flit through every emotional response possible before settling on guilt. Merida knew she was pushing him into a corner, she hated doing it to him but she couldn’t give him time to come up with a rebuttal. Not when she was so close.

“Mer… it’s not… you know I only want you.”

Merida froze. 

Shite.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. 

O’course he would think ah’m angry abou’ that. Dammit!

“Ye daft boy! Tha’s nae why ah’m upset!”

She opened her eyes and saw the mask of doubt he wore. 

Merida marveled that for all his amazing brain could comprehend and do, it still led him to make the wrong conclusions far too often. Her heart ached with guilt that he thought he betrayed their love from her words. Getting out of her seat, she stepped towards him, leaned over and cupped his face in her hands. She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs and looked into his eyes. 

“Oh Hic, ah have never doubted yer love and desire fer meh. We ha’ both had our fair share o’ suitors come after us and none ha’ been worthy of our affections. None have proven a stronger or more capable leader than you and there have been no other Queens. The simple fact you find Astrid desirable, and Elinor sees her as an equal is all I need to know that she is a Queen.”

Letting go of his face Merida pushed his wing aside so she could sit on his leg. She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. Contemplating his eyes she could see he still doubted what was obvious. Stroking his hair, Merida considered what else she could do to persuade Hiccup to acknowledge this truth.

Inspiration came not in the form of what, but who. 

“Twenty years and she’s the firs’ beyond meh to turn yer eye? Ye migh’ be able ta deny it, bu’ Toothless knows better. Do ye plan on ignoring him?”

Hiccup opened his mouth to say something, but remained silent. He closed his mouth and closed his eyes. He was talking with Toothless. Hiccup may argue and refute what she had to say, but he always listened to Toothless. Theirs was a bond of brothers and Hiccup was nothing if not a big softie for his family. 

Merida knew she had him.

A few minutes passed before Hiccup stirred and heaved a dramatic sigh. “Alright. Alright. Fine… she does meet the conditions I set”

Elation coursed through Merida’s entire being. She was thousands of feet in the air on Hiccup’s back, feeling that freedom was just on the horizon. Biting her bottom lip to stay grounded, she sought confirmation.

“So ye will le’ her take the position as yer guardian?”

“Only if she wants it. She also needs to show me, us that she is capable of defending herself and become a decent flyer. I won’t take her as my guard if she isn’t prepared.”

Merida nodded, “Tha’ seems fair.”

She leaned in closer and laid her head against his chest. His heart drummed steady in her ear. His heart contained so much love for those around him, it was both his greatest strength and weakness. Leaving her to be it’s only protector. Merida handled the responsibility when he was near her, but out on those missions she couldn’t keep it safe. He needed another defender.

Murmuring against his chest, Merida waded back into battle for her love against himself. “Ah have one more condition of mah own.”

“Which is?”

“Treat her more than as a guardian. She’s a Queen, Hic. We’re a rare breed. You ha’ yer Queen on the ground, now give her tha’ chance to be your Queen o’ the sky.”

The burning wood crackled and Hiccup’s heart sped up slightly, beyond that it was silent. Merida kept her breathing steady. She made peace with this decision years back after a particularly bloody Alpha challenge. The werebear had been a stubborn and vicious challenger, managing to wound Hiccup more than once before being beaten within an inch of his life. Merida found that it wasn’t Hiccup’s injuries that pushed her to make peace with any other Queen’s that may join them, it was the challenger. He had wanted her more than the leadership. Once he lost, he was denied any chance to pursue her not only by Hiccup but the rest of the village. It drove the man into despair and he killed himself a few months later.

Merida and Hiccup had been devastated by the death. Merida knew she wouldn’t lose a challenge; yet, she couldn’t bear doing that to another villager. If she could spare another’s life under her care by sharing an amazing person with them, then so be it. 

Hiccup leaned over and pressed his lips on the top of her head. He whispered into her hair, “Mer… my heart is yours…”

Merida smirked before saying, “Ah know ye daft boy, bu’ wha’ ye seem to forget is tha’ it’s big enough fer another.”

Merida felt Hiccup place a finger on her chin and lift it up so she could see his eyebrow cocked in mock challenge, “What if I don’t want another in there?”

Merida leaned back, stood up and pushed Hiccup’s wing open. She hiked her skirt up and sat back down wrapping her legs around his lean waist. Pulling herself close, making a mental reminder to thank him for making his chair so large, she wrapped her arms around his neck again. Settling down she stretched over to his ear and breathed her reply, “Ye didn’ wan’ meh in there at firs’, now ye donnae know how ta start or end yer day withou’ meh!”

Merida wiggled her hips and crinkled her nose. She relished in the warmth of Hiccup’s hands as he ran them around her hips and settled on her lower back, pulling her closer. There wasn’t any need to smell the air to tell her little hip shake had the desired effect. 

“Ah’m no’ saying ye need ta be seducing her, jus’ give her the chance ta become a friend and don’ toss away the possibility of something more.”

Merida watched the last of Hiccup’s arguments fizzle out and he acquiesced to her request with a simple nod. 

She gave her best innocent look as she gazed into his dilated eyes. 

“Was there somethin’ else ye wanted ta discuss?” she lilted the question in a singsong tone. 

Merida giggled as Hiccup lowered his hands to her backside, squeezing and standing up. His voice barely above a growl, “Privately.” 

Pressing into him, she found his lips and decided to leave the other reports for the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading another chapter of this crazy story of mine! I'm going to participate in NaNo for November, but I will be continuing to post this story in the meantime. Using NaNo to work on my giant fiction.
> 
> Leave those kudos and comments!


	5. One At A Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new day and so many questions.

It was hot. Not the comforting warmth of a soft bed and a good blanket. No this was the irksome type of hot where you don’t quite sweat but feel sticky all over from not being cooled off. The heat was originating from the back of her head, and it quickly spread over the rest of her body. Astrid attempted to roll away from the offending source of her discomfort only to find herself restricted by something tightly wrapped around her body. Confusion led to the loss of her blissful unconsciousness. Whining in a manner she hadn’t conjured since she was a small child, Astrid slowly sat up and opened her eyes. 

First to cross her sleep muddled mind was she couldn’t see past her hair. The second was the hair stuck to her tongue did nothing to help her cotton-dry mouth as she tried to spit the offending strands out. The last thought to succeed in kick-starting her brain was she managed to wrap herself up so tightly in her blanket that she could not untangle herself sitting down. Blinking her eyes in a manner an owl would find inspiring, Astrid clawed up the effort to twist her body around and get her feet planted on the ground. With a slight lean forward she stood on the cool wood floor and shimmied the blanket out from around her body.

Shaking her head slightly, Astrid tried to clear out the cobwebs in her mind and found them stubbornly attached. Yawning she let muscle memory take over, her hands run through her hair pulling it away from her face freeing her mouth and eyes. Breathing in a deep breath through her nose Astrid chased a few cobwebs out to take in her surroundings and nearly choked. 

Not waking up to her small one room hut by herself was the jolt needed to fully clear her head and try to comprehend her current location. The hall was decently large with multiple beds and bed-rolls lying in semi-decent rows with a few still containing their owners. A short auburn-haired woman walked towards the front of the hall and as Astrid watched her leave her memories of another with similar hair flashed before her. Only it was a tall man, with a lopsided smile and giant wings. 

“Hiccup.”

Blinking, his face was replaced with a woman and her fiery red curls.

“Merida.”

Squinting, Astrid was assailed by every moment in the previous day starting with her harrowing escape from her home, slowly transforming into a dragon, Hiccup’s timely intervention, meeting Stormfly properly, her trip to the village and Merida’s tour. It was an incredible amount to happen within a day and Astrid found it no surprise she had passed out. Feeling confident that her bearings were restored she turned back to the bed and located her leather hair tie. 

Finger combing her hair a few more times, removing the worst of tangles, she managed an acceptable single braid and threw it over her left shoulder. Bending over she grabbed her boots lying next to the bed and pulled them on. Trying and failing to smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes from sleeping in them, Astrid considered her next order of business. She had only seen half of the village, she could look around for either of her hosts as there was the matter of a few dozen questions she wanted to be answered.

Making her way out of the hall and into the midmorning light, Astrid took in a breath of fresh air. She found the myriad of smells overpowering as each unique scent seemed to fight for dominance in her nose. Astrid could taste the dirt, smoke, sweat, burnt wood and even shit assaulting her throat making her gag. Coughing and desperate to seek any relief, she closed her eyes and pinched her nose shut. Her momentary respite allowed for the bile rising in the back of her throat to settle and stir Stormfly’s concern. 

The dragon felt nausea and distress coming from her bonded and bristled protectively. She nuzzled Astrid’s hair and cooed to help her overcome the sudden onset of stress.

Astrid basked in the comfort Stormfly provided, yet it didn’t solve the issue of overwhelming smells and no way of blocking them out. She tried to explain, but the need to breathe was greater and she had to take in a deep breath. The fresh onslaught made Astrid gag and she barely kept from vomiting. Once more she pinched her nose shut and held her breath.

She knew the next time she drew in a breath she wouldn’t be able to hold back the contents of her stomach ending up on the street. Trying once more, Astrid conveyed what was causing her discomfort. She did not sense understanding or that she was even heard before the urge to breathe quickly became an irresistible urge. Bracing herself for the inevitable emptying of whatever was in her stomach, Astrid held out to the last possible moment before releasing her nose.

Breathing fast and deep, Astrid staved off registering any of the dominating scents as long as she could, but it was short-lived. Taking in another breath she paused as the smells were suddenly muted and bearable. Steadily her breathing evened out, no longer taking harsh lungfuls of air she returned to a balanced state. Opening her eyes, she glanced around and felt a small surge of relief that no one seemed to have noticed her brush with being violently sick. 

Astrid smiled at the turn of events. She began pondering if Stormfly had heard her plea or if she somehow managed to get her heightened sense of smell under control at the last minute. The thought had barely finished before her stomach gurgled audibly. It was immediately followed up the savory aroma of roasted chicken and fresh bread pushing every other scent aside. 

“Well I don’t feel like I’m going to vomit, so food would be good.”

Following her nose, Astrid marched up the road towards the Great Hall and shamelessly relished in the thoughts of all the chicken she was going to devour. If it was half as good as yesterday then she was in for a treat once more. She walked in the front of the hall, both double doors were braced open allowing alluring smells of freshly cooked food to draw in any hungry person that walked by. 

Astrid strolled up to the serving table and quickly found two roast chickens, half a loaf of bread, butter, and a pitcher of watered-down wine. Glancing around the hall, she found a seat to the side of the hall that did not have any villagers nearby. Tucking in, Astrid hardly registered devouring the first chicken as she lost herself to the flavor once again. Pausing to drink some of the watered wine, Astrid took a moment to study those in the hall. She noted the variations between the residents, and no one animal archetype seemed to prevail over any of the others.

Ripping a piece of the bread loaf, Astrid smeared a measured amount of butter on it before taking a bite. Enjoying the mild sweet taste of butter against the slight tartness of the bread, Astrid’s gaze was drawn to a group of six villagers rising from their table. They spoke amongst themselves with ease, humor, and familiarity. The exchange stirred a long-buried feeling of envy in Astrid. 

She ripped into the second chicken. Forcibly sighing through her nose, Astrid recalled the conversation with Merida regarding her unchecked emotions. Deciding that was a task to start after breakfast, Astrid turned her eyes back to the group as they walked towards the door. Furrowing her brow in confusion at their clothes, she quickly looked around at the other villagers present. They were either billowingly oversized cloth or skin-tight leather; the pattern repeated in no discernable order from person to person. 

“What… okay, a question for my hosts.”

Astrid returned to her meal finding only bread crumbs and chicken bones before her. Pursing her lips in disappointment, she drained the remainder of her drink and made her way over to the dish bucket. Dumping her plate and cup, she made her way out and perused what her next steps in the day. 

“I still have a lot I don’t understand and talking with Hiccup or Merida would be good. Also, need to find work, can’t be living on their charity. I need new armor, mine’s back at my house…”

“Do you usually talk to yourself in the middle of the street?” A familiar voice stirred Astrid out of her musings.

Finding the owner a few feet to her right, Astrid quickly placed the face to the guard in the tower Merida relieved for their talk. 

Her bewilderment apparent as the feline guard chuckled, “Yes, you were talking to yourself. You should be careful what you say, we all have good ears around here.” 

Astrid gave a deprecating smile and said, “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Of course. Oh! Next time you need to hit something, could you find something other than the guard tower? We have to replace the half wall you hit.”

“What are you…I didn’t hit it that… replace it?” Astrid stuttered from question to question. 

The guard shrugged dismissively, “Like I said, next time just aim those fists somewhere else.” She gave a small nod and headed towards the east end of the village and stopped, “I’m Phaenna by the way, welcome to the village!” 

Astrid blinked in surprise before responding in kind, “Astrid. I’m Astrid and thanks.”

Waving, Phaenna carried on leaving Astrid at loss with the simple kind act.

“Why is she welcoming me to the village? I’ve only been here for two days! I haven’t decided to stay. I don’t know what I want to do! I… I.” Astrid’s shoulders tensed and hunched forward under the mental stress of not having a plan of action to follow. The sensation of soaring over an endless sea of evergreens dominated her warring thoughts, clearing her mind long enough to allow her to make a decision. “A walk. In the forest. Yes, that’s what I need. That always made me… no, it didn’t. Walks never helped me calm down, but… it made you feel better Stormfly?” 

Astrid wasn’t sure how to describe the space she could see Stormfly. The dragon was right in front of her and not there all at once. Regardless, she stared at the sapphire lizard as it nodded an affirmative to her question. Astrid yelled in indignation, “YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!” and was rewarded with Stormfly curling up and away from Astrid. 

Realizing she had yelled her question aloud, Astrid glanced side to side in embarrassment as more than one villager stopped to give her a questioning look. Ignoring the stares she headed to the northern gate. Along the way, Astrid forced herself to look around and take in the village. It was a bit larger than her or the last village. She picked up her pace through the center of town, the road completely cobbled with a few vendor stands set up throughout. Beyond the town square, Astrid noted that the homes were to the west and trade buildings to the east. There was definitely forethought put into the village design keeping the two separate.

Smelling the mellow tang of split cedar, Astrid saw the carpenters hall off to the right of the northern gate. Getting closer she was able to look into the back half as it was open to the elements, several pieces of lumber waiting to become a new piece of furniture or some specialty work. Astrid drew even with the building on the road and turned back to find herself a few paces from the northern gate.

None of the villagers that passed through the gate had been challenged by the tower guard as Astrid came closer. Seeing no indication she needed to stop, she continued on her way to only be held up by the tower guard yelling down at her.

“Wait! Blondie!”

Gritting her teeth, Astrid looked up to the guard with barely restrained anger at his choice of name for her.

“What?”

Astrid watched as he looked her over before asking, “Where are you going?”

“For a walk in the forest,” and under her breath, “not that it’s any of your business.”

“It is my business, Blondie. You need a weapon if you’re going into the forest or you can turn your ass around until you find an escort.” Astrid found the commanding tone of the guard’s voice irksome but acknowledged his order was not up for debate.

She checked the surroundings for anything that would make do for the short term. Her search led to a small reflection of light coming from the nearest wall of the carpenter’s hall. Marching over she found a wood-chopping axe left leaning against the building. She picked it up, testing the edge of the blade and overall weight of the tool. “This should do just fine.” 

Holding it up, she petulantly waved it back and forth, “Enough of a weapon? Need me to show you I can use it?” 

The guard waved her on, looking anything but amused. Letting the axe drop to her side, Astrid made her way into the forest, stepping off the beaten path and marching northwest into the dense evergreens. 

She continued on for several minutes dodging roots and low branches, the trees uniform in species and color. The repetitive obstacles resembled the numerous issues plaguing her mind. She would resolve one only to find four more problems waiting on her. 

A small clearing in the trees broke the monotonous scenery and provided enough room for Astrid to pace back and forth without tripping over hidden vegetation. Stopping in the middle of the clearing and closing her eyes, Astrid focused on the sounds in the woods. Slowly she became aware of each creak of limbs swaying in the breeze, the flapping of a bird’s wings, and barely a whisper of men yelling far in the distance. Astrid smiled at getting some privacy. Flexing her right hand she brought the axe up, yelled, and flung it at the nearest tree about twenty feet away. 

Chest heaving, she straightened up and walked over to retrieve the borrowed axe. It was sunk deep into the evergreen, the haft joint near the metal head was pressed into the trunk leaving an indentation below the blade gash. Grabbing and giving a hard pull, the weapon came loose with relative ease. Astrid stared at the remaining scar in the tree and then looked at the weapon.

“Right. Increased strength. I’m gonna break this axe if I keep throwing like that. Ummmm.”

Bouncing the weapon in her hand she walked back to roughly the same spot before and turned back to the same tree. Taking aim she threw the axe once again at half her normal strength and speed. A resounding  _ thunk! _ echoed through the trees as Astrid made her way to retrieve the axe. Studying the entry point she found that it was still a bit deep in the tree and could lighten up on her throw even more. Taking the axe out, she leaned against the tree and focused on why she originally came out to do. 

“Alright. Lots of problems, but they keep getting in the way of each other… just like these damn trees.”

Walking away from the tree and striding back to the opposite end of the clearing, Astrid stared at the sea of evergreens before her. The piney scent sat in the background of each breath she took and with each tree, she found a different problem plaguing her mind. Five feet in front of her a tree just past sapling in size brought forth thoughts on her shelter situation. Directly behind it was an older, bent and dying evergreen made her mind scream with painful arguments she had with the village elder about being an unmarried woman. Her chest constricted as she looked at the briar thorn bush surrounding the old, bent tree. Fear suffused her body with the sounds of her old village residents turned bloodthirsty mob when she began to change.

Slowly the trees started to blur together, forming an insurmountable wall of pressing dilemmas all around her that slowly pushed in. Astrid choked as oppressive claustrophobia pressed down on her awareness, tunneling her vision. Vaguely she felt Stormfly stirring at her distress, but the muffled sound of her squawk was lost to the roaring blood in her ears. She had to fight this! She had to fight and defeat them! No, keep running, they’ll catch you! The narrowing of her vision grew smaller and her consciousness went with it.

_ She stared up into grey sky and blew out a frustrated breath. Sitting up, her bangs flopped in front of her eyes, again, she harshly pushed them behind her ears in vain as they fell back into her vision. Rising to her feet, Astrid walked over to the hatchet she was practicing with and picked it up out of the dirt. Scrutinizing the small weapon, Astrid searched for the cause of her abysmal throws in the object. Surely there was a flaw in the metal or a split in the handle making it fly with inaccuracy.  _

_ Intent on finding the problem she missed the looming presence lean over her shoulder.  _

_ “Something wrong with your hatchet, Astrid?” _

_ Jumping in surprise, Astrid turned around quickly to find her Uncle Finn looking down on her in bemusement.  _

_ Frowning, she answered, “It’s not going where I’m aiming it! I’m doing everything you showed me and it keeps ending up everywhere else!” She vented her frustration but did not feel any better for it.  _

_ “Hmm, that is a problem.” Scratching his blond beard thoughtfully, her uncle held out his right hand and asked, “May I try?” _

_ Astrid shrugged indifferently and placed the offending object haft first in the outstretched palm. She watched her uncle give the weapon a quick once over, weigh it in his hand and in the blink of an eye whipped around and launched it at one of the targets. The  _ thunk! _ sound was solid and the hatchet stayed buried dead center of the target. _

_ “Nothing wrong with the weapon,” he said walking over to gather the weapon and come back. “Here you throw it, maybe we have a problem with the person.” _

_ Glaring daggers at her uncle, Astrid yanked the hatchet from his hand and got into the throwing stance. She mirrored Uncle Finn to a T. She would show him that it wasn’t her fault, it was the hatchet, and then she would make him apologize and get her hatchet fixed so it went where she threw it.  _

_ Astrid aimed, threw, lost balance and fell on her back. Again. _

_ Just as she was about to scream out the injustice, she heard Uncle Finn chuckling. “It’s not FUNNY!!!” Sitting up she glared at him once more, and it only made him laugh in earnest. _

_ He wiped his eyes before bluntly informing her, “Yep! Big problem with the weapon user!”  _

_ Crossing her arms across her chest, Astrid could only continue to stare at her Uncle with indignation.  _

_ “It’s the hatchet!” _

_ “No love, it’s you. When have I ever lied about anything with combat training?” _

_ Pouting, she replied, “never…” _

_ She felt his strong hands wrap around her arms and gently pulled her up to her feet. “Go get your weapon and come back.” She did as she was asked and stood before her uncle with weapon in hand.  _

_ “I want you to aim for the center target and do all the motions of throwing without actually releasing your hatchet. Understand?” _

_ Astrid nodded and did as she was asked, stopping right at the peak of her throw.  _

_ “Good. Hold it.” Her uncle walked around her, nudging her from side to side testing her balance.  _

_ “Perfect! Just like I taught you. Repeat that and throw the hatchet this time.” _

_ Doing it all over again, Astrid looked on in bewilderment as her hatchet flew and landed just left of center on the target. She turned on her uncle with accusations on her lips that he did something to the weapon, and instead had his finger pressed against her mouth. _

_ “Before you go off blaming me with some fantastical reason why your weapon wasn’t flying properly, I want you to hear me out first.” Astrid continued to stare and remained silent. “There is nothing wrong with your weapon or your technique. The issue lies in here.” He lightly tapped her forehead. _

_ “You are losing focus on the target and thinking about the next five things you are going to take on before you even throw. Now you have multiple targets in your mind and you don’t know which one to attack and miss all of them. Even the greatest warriors defeat hundreds of enemies one at a time.” _

_ Grabbing her shoulders, he turned her to the targets. “Become a great warrior like the Hofferson you are Astrid.” _

Heaving air in and out of her lungs, Astrid jerked her head up and looked around for her Uncle Finn. There was no one around, except her and the trees. Clenching her eyes shut, she rocked from her knees to her ass and brought her hand up to her face wiping away cold sweat and dirt. Warm scales contrasted roughly against her smooth skin.

“Scales?”

Bringing her hand back she saw the partial transformation halted at thicker dragon scales forming along her hands, her arms, and her fingernails were elongated and blackened. Another tree grew in her forest of problems and it was getting larger with every instance of her being emotionally overwhelmed. She needed to get it under control, and soon.

“Another thing to ask my hosts, I can’t be turning into a dragon just because I’m stressed out.”

A rush of warm air blowing past her neck reminded her that someone was listening to her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, Stormfly, it’s nothing personal. Okay? And I’m talking aloud aren’t I?”

The nuzzling was reassuring and provided a sense of understanding from her new permanent resident. The chirp an affirmation that she was indeed voicing her thoughts to where anyone could hear them. 

“Why am I… what was it that Merida said? A new mind, have to retrain. Looks like I should take more of her advice to heart, what do you think Stormfly?”

She was given a low snort that sounded like, “of course”.

“That’s something we need to work on is understanding each other. This feels like I’m guessing at more than half the sensations you send at me. Since we’re gonna be sharing this life and all. I just don’t know where to start.”

Stormfly laid down and with her tail wrapped around her. No coos or nuzzles of encouragement, Astrid let the pang of disappointment come and go. Even if she was sharing a mind and body, she was still an individual just as much as Stormfly. That said it was up to her to find a solution to her many complications in this new life.

Staring at the trees surrounding her gave way to an idea to start resolving her immediate problems and find a plan for the more perplexing ones. Standing up, Astrid walked to the nearest tree and brought her right forefinger up giving a practice scratch with her hardened nail. Pressing hard she carved a line into the trunk. Giving her head a turn to both sides she nodded and started working more lines into the tree. 

Over the next hour, Astrid worked from tree to tree until returning to the first. Stepping back, she massaged her finger and admired her work. Each tree contained a different word representing a topic she needed to address and figure out. 

Walking back to the center of the clearing she hefted the axe over her shoulder and left it fly. The dull thump of metal burying into wood sounded before Astrid went to see what problem she defeated first. 

Yanking the axe out, she stared at the word and nodded.

“Money, hmmm. I have some savings back in my old house. Enough to get me through the lean months, and that could definitely help me get set up here or get me on my way to another settlement. I need to get it first and that’s going to be an issue. No guarantee my money or Hel, my home is still there. The elders burned Uncle Finn’s home with all of his belongings after he turned and with that old bat of an elder still alive they probably did the same to my home. So what does that leave me now?”

Astrid leaned her head back to look up into the early afternoon sky searching for an answer. Taking a deep breath through her nose, the fresh pine scent was cut sharply by the putrid reek of a tanning vat somewhere to the northeast of her. Giving her nose a vigorous rub in vain to chase away the offensive smell, an idea presented itself.

“I could always just get a job. There is a townguard and maybe they’ll be open to me joining once I show them I am trustworthy, but that means I need to stay in or near the village. At least until I get some coin put back.”

The other possibilities of stealing or robbing travelers were not even entertained while Astrid carved her path forward on gaining coin above the word “money”. Nodding, she pivoted, took aim and lobbed the axe. 

“Okay next is, clothes.”

Astrid assessed her donated clothes. They were fine, but would not provide much warmth once winter came around and she would need more sets as they wore out. 

“I suppose that’s fairly easy to deal with, I need the money and we already figured that one out. Although, the clothing style is strange around here. I’ll just ask Merida or Hiccup next time I see them.”

Marking the tree similar to the first, Astrid added an M and H as a reminder to get clarification. 

Astrid smiled as the stress started to give way to order and direction in her mind. Walking back to the center of her target area she lifted the axe back and let it fly to the next tree.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not mean for a whole month to pass before I got the next chapter up. For those that have waited patiently, thank you! 
> 
> Good news is I have chapter 6 written and I am currently editing. I will get it out as soon as the polishing is completed. 
> 
> What do y'all think so far?


	6. Answers And More Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid and Merida have a little chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for the wonderful comments you have left, they're amazing motivation.
> 
> This is the longest chapter to date for me at 8,172 words. It would not be nearly as polished without the diligent help from my beta reader. She refuses to let me settle. So big thank you to her :)
> 
> Lots of background questions answered here, so ENJOY!

Weaving in and out of the tables, Merida went villager to villager checking and ensuring nothing was amiss before grabbing her meal. Taking a deep breath she cringed at the persistent fetor she acquired helping the leather tanners today. It only compounded when she walked by those that didn’t deaden their sense of smell in time. 

Gazing over the rest of the hall gave her peace of mind that her  _ children _ were all accounted for and safe. Her tension eked out as the warm glow from the golden evening sun glimmered across the horizon, bath the hall with the calming light. Smiling, she made her way to the food line when a familiar itch made its way down her nose.

Doing another mental double-check, she furrowed her brow.

_ Nae, ah know ah saw everyone. _

She heard a nerve grating sigh, a near-silent reprimand from her soul creature. The bear growled and flashed an image of the newly arrived blonde before her eyes. Merida turned back to the gathered masses in the hall to see Astrid was not among them. A sense of dread creeping over her heart had Merida raise her nose and inhale deeply. Merida instantly regretted her action as she violently coughed, choking on the vile, putrid stench invading her nose. She waved off worried glances as she made her way out of the hall.

_DAMN TANNING VATS!_ _Always ruin meh nose. _

Without her nose to ascertain Astrid’s whereabouts, Merida’s mind conjured dozens of gruesome scenarios to have befallen the woman.

_ Calm down, ah’m no’ thinking. Ah’ve done this withou’ meh nose before, jus’ been a while. _

Stopping in the middle of the path outside the hall, Merida dampened her sense of smell, pushed away the more outlandish possibilities, and started speculating where the newest rescue could be at the moment. Aside from the guards, all the trade workers were eating in the Great Hall which means Astrid wasn’t working in town. Merida was considering checking the communal sleeping hall since Astrid could still be passed out. 

Merida turned towards the sleeping hall and stopped when a loud discussion interrupted the quiet evening. 

“Calm down, I’m sure she’ll bring it back.”

“She fucken betta! That was me favorite woodcutta!

“Hey. She’s new and the guard said she was in a right mood. It was for the best she took a walk in the woods instead of stalking around town worked up like that.”

Merida quirked an eyebrow as the carpenter walked by. 

_ “Woodcutta”… he only leaves his ax at the carpenter’s hall which means she mos’ likely went ou’ the north gate. _

“EH, I know, bu’...” 

The man continued to calm logger as the two headed towards one of the houses.

_ Now why would ye go off into the forest? Spirits she isnae running is she?! There arenae villages or outposts tha’ way… bu’ doesnae know tha’! _

Turning towards the north gate, Merida fought for control of her anxiety and urge to sprint off to the northern woods blindly. Reaching the north gate she stopped to speak with the current tower guard, confirming that a disgruntled blonde did go through the gate earlier in the day. He pointed in the general direction she headed. Thanking the man, Merida made her way into the forest.

_ Now how far in are yeh?  _

Merida followed a game trail for several minutes finding no sign of Astrid. Huffing out a frustrated breath, Merida stopped and contemplated on her options.

_ Ah can jus’ wait for her to come back on her own, bu’ she migh’ get lost if she isnae on her way back now. She doesnae know the woods. Could be hurt. Could be running away. _

Merida pinched the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb.

_ Now ah sound like Hiccup! One problem at a time, can ah find her? Ah cannae track her scent, but ah do have a decent pair of ears.  _

Merida focused on the sounds coming from the forest and didn’t wait long to find a distinctly unnatural noise coming deeper in the direction she was walking. Merida hiked her skirt up avoiding roots and forest detritus as she moved deeper into the woods. The dull thump she heard grew louder and was joined by heavy, labored breaths. 

Stepping around a thick growth of brambles brought Merida to a natural clearing with several freshly scarred trees. In the middle stood a blonde woman visibly exhausted and swaying slightly on her feet. Astrid’s clothes were soaked through with sweat and her lightly blue skin flushed lilac in color from her exertion. Astrid lifted the borrowed axe over her left shoulder and let it fly at the only tree yet to be hit.

“Last one…” Astrid dragged her feet to the tree and looked at something carved into the trunk, “Speaking my thoughts out loud. I… don’t know how to stop that right now.”

Merida closed the distance to the clearing as Astrid tried to yank the axe out. She groaned as she saw the haft break from the ax head, leaving the steel firmly buried in the oak 

“Shit.” Astrid gasped out between heavy breaths.

Smiling, Merida expelled all the stress she had been holding onto and made herself known, “Ah think ye’ll be needing ta replace tha’ sooner rather than later or ye be meetin’ th’ owner under less than favorable circumstances.” She called out cheerfully.

Astrid tripped over her feet as she spun around to face Merida. Merida cringed when Astrid landed on her face still holding the broken axe handle. Shaking her head at the woman’s state she walked over and bent down offering a hand to pull her up.

“Have ye been ou’ here all day?”

Astrid mumbled into the dirt, “Not all day… I had breakfast this morning. So not all day.” 

“Och spirits! Ye sound jus’ like Hiccup!”

Not waiting for Astrid to reach up, Merida worked her hands under the woman’s arms and pulled her upright. Merida turned a critical eye and was unsurprised by her findings. Limp, sweat soaked hair, smelling of acrid pine, growls of an empty stomach, and barely standing on her own. She was mildly shocked to learn dragon eyes could get bloodshot. Hiccup had never stayed transformed long enough for the possibility to ever arise.

Merida took her hands away to brush off the dirt on Astrid’s clothes and quickly grabbed her when she started to list dangerously to the side. Merida shook her head and entertained the idea of carrying Astrid again. She settled for giving her a shoulder to lean on.

“Ah hope this is no’ a regular day fer ye!” she grunted out and managed to get Astrid to put an arm over her shoulder.

“Alrigh’ we are goin’ back and ye’ll be getting some food and water. Then a bath!”

Merida was slightly irked and equally amused at the situation. The deja vu of dragging Hiccup home in a similar state from working the forge or helping some person out played heavily out in her mind.  _ Like two peas in a pod.  _ The two shuffled towards the village, taking a few steps before Merida was forced to stop when Astrid pulled away.

“Wha’ are ye doin’ now?!”

“I need to grab the ax head.” 

Merida watched Astrid work the metal free slowly, each push and pull a concentrated effort.

“If ye don’ think ye can make the walk let me know. Ah can carry yeh again.”

The grunt Merida received was enough to know she had been heard.

***

Astrid hadn’t been this exhausted in years. Her arms ached and burned from overuse, her legs leaden, her back twinged and Hel her neck seemed to think her head was an unnecessary weight. Her new body was fit, but it wasn’t designed for the training she had spent most of her life ingraining into each muscle fiber. Tired as she was at least her strength held out enough to let her walk with minimal assistance.

She took in a short breath, her lungs ached with every cool intake of air.

“Gods Merida, you smell awful.” She coughed, failing to stop her eyes from watering and blurring the forest around her.

“Ye can thank the tanners fer my new fragrance. Spent mos’ the day with them getting hides prepared fer market.” Merida directed them to the right avoiding several protruding roots. “It’s no’ tha’ bad. Ye need to suppress yer dragon senses and it’ll be easier on ye.”

“Easy for her to say, I don’t have the slightest idea what to do.” Astrid shot Merida a look of contemptuous annoyance and noticed she was shaking with silent laughter.

“Ye realize yer speaking yer thoughts ou’ loud?”

Astrid forced her mouth shut as she silently thanked the gods her face flushed red with any exercise. She was counting on it hiding her embarrassment she was currently experiencing. 

“It was brought to my attention earlier and I haven’t had any luck in stopping it.” She swallowed, taking a moment to suppress her bruised pride for needing to ask the next question. “Do...do you have any suggestions to...help? With both of them?”

Merida was silent for several minutes and Astrid gave her more than one passing look. The redhead’s face was thoughtful, probably finding the proper way to respond so it made sense. Astrid would normally have demanded an answer at this point, but whether it was the exhaustion or a newly acquired trait, she waited patiently.

“Would it be safe ta sae this is one of yer many questions simmering on yer mind?” 

“Yes.”

“Well ah’m gonna ask ye ta be patient till we ge’ back and ge’ some food and drink in ye. Ah’ve noticed people find it easier ta understand on a full stomach. Find tha’ agreeable?”

Astrid frowned at the delay. She pulled away from Merida and walked on her own finding that anger served a good rejuvenator. Keeping pace, she fought against the urge to yell and belittle her host. She had taken an entire day to get her mind organized. Coming to terms that her entire life of twenty plus years was now completely and irreparably gone took the better part of an hour to sort through. The tree she had written that out on no longer existed. She tore it apart piece by piece with her bare hands and claws to not succumb to wave after wave of confusion and despair. 

She sighed and shook out the tension in her shoulders. No, Merida was here to help and she had assisted several before in the same position. She wet her lips and nodded.

“That’s fine, Merida.”

“O’ good. Because we’re close.” 

She followed Merida’s gesture to the village wall highlighted a smoldering burnt orange by the setting sun. The sight and smell jarred her continuous inner musings. Dozens of fire being lit, forge fire being banked and extinguished, sweat, the char of various meats over a spit, and tanning fluids. It was familiar, and to an extent, it gave Astrid a sense of safety in that nothing changed during her time away. Just like coming home when she lived with Uncle Finn and she would breathe in the scent of the cooking fire and sweet cakes. He had a terrible sweet tooth. Astrid jerked out her thoughts when Merida called out to her.

“Come on! Food and drink then a bath.” Merida led the way to the closed northern gate. She called a greeting to the guard signaling for the gate to open. 

Getting to the Great Hall and grabbing food happened in the blink of an eye. Astrid managed to grab some strips of braised mutton along with a roasted chicken. The only seats available were in the middle of the hall and she loathed to wait for another seat to open up elsewhere. Sitting at the end of the table, Astrid found a washbowl set next to her plate and Merida throwing a rag down next to it.

“Wash yer hands before ye go digging in. Ah’ll be back with meh dinner.” 

Astrid watched her saunter off and couldn’t recall the last time she had been mothered so much. After Finn was killed, she was on her own in all aspects of care. The only time the Elders or village women stepped up to help her was when she became eligible for marriage. Grimacing at that thought, Astrid slipped her hands into the water giving each a vigorous scrub and scraped out as much dirt as possible on her nails. Satisfied with her efforts, Astrid dried her hands with the rag and turned back to her still hot meal.

“Wait.” Astrid jerked her hands up and turned them over several times, “When did my hands change back?”

“Yer doing it again.”

Astrid looked up to find Merida seated with a pitcher of water, two cups, and a plate of fruit and a steaming haddock. Waiting for Merida to fill her cup, Astrid downed the contents in two long swallows and held it out for more. It took two more cupfuls to slake her thirst.

“Thank you. I’ll remember to take a water skin and some food next time I go for a training session.”

“O’ course. Now shall we?” Merida motioned to their meals and each set about filling their empty stomachs. 

Astrid slid her empty plate back with a sigh of contentment and sipped on the sweet mead one of the villagers dropped off for her and Merida to share. She watched as another person came up and greeted Merida, giving Astrid a small nod of acknowledgment. It made her chafe in discomfort every time someone stopped to say hello, introduce themselves or even leave small gifts for Merida. Her dinner companion handled it with a practiced ease and knew what to accept, to kindly turn down and how to give attention to each person that sought it from her equally. 

Astrid found herself woefully unprepared for the barrage of small talk and attention. She was never one for insincere platitudes of meaningless conversation or cultivating multiple friendships that barely qualified above an acquaintance. She had a tentative camaraderie with the guards in her previous home, a mutual respect for what they did to keep everyone safe, but it never became anything more. 

Although, Astrid found the way many of the villagers approached Merida was interesting. They gave their respects as she would expect a person to exhibit towards a leader except there was something more to it. If she had not witnessed Merida turn away more than half of the gifts presented to her, Astrid would assume it was a mandatory tribute. Of course it could be a ruse because Astrid was present. Except that seemed unlikely based on how hopeful the gift-givers were when Merida accepted their offering. The triumphant smile the mead maker wore when he had not been turned away, one would think he had just found a precious treasure denied to all before him. How the man hadn’t dropped dead from the venomous glares of more villagers than Astrid managed to count was impressive.

Astrid studied Merida’s reaction to the most recent item presented, a glass vial of lavender oil by the smell of it, she accepted. Her smile was genuine to a point, but not sincere. Astrid mulled over that look while sipping on her mead. She had seen the same smile before, not just this evening over and over on Merida’s face. The memory flashed before her like a lightning strike, and Astrid found herself sitting a small tavern watching a pretty girl being fought over not with fists and swords, but gifts.

_ The merchant’s daughter… When her father officially allowed her to be courted. She had the same look as Merida. _

Astrid compared the two events and found them a near-perfect mirror of each other. The smiles of those whose gifts weren’t turned away, the defeated glowers from those who were reflections of the suitors that night. Astrid could not deny how the actions of both the villagers and Merida made far more sense when viewed as attempting to gain courting favor. Some had the subtlety and grace of a cat walking a thin ledge while others made a stumbling drunk appear refined.   
  


She quirked an eyebrow when she noticed it wasn’t just men, at three women made an attempt. 

Those who did not offer a gift still paid their respects with a smaller number begrudgingly making a passable effort, much the same way she had towards the Elders in her old home. She had done it because it was expected, just as they had done for their Elders and so on for each prior generation. As Elders were the foundation pillar of their village, without them who would pass along the traditions, ensure they were being respected, make sure they were followed? Especially those traditions that insured the village had more children. Astrid understood the reluctant villagers actions and the undeniable air of a silent challenge from each of them. The question was what were they challenging about Merida? 

Another question among many others. 

Speaking of questions, “Merida.”

Gaining the woman’s attention, Astrid asked, “Would you mind answering my questions now?”

Her host grabbed the mead sitting in front of her and took a drink. Just as she opened her mouth to respond another villager came up, a mouse of a man, nearly tripping over his feet and words thanking Merida for her help two days past. He had a wrapped parcel and tried to shove it in Merida’s hands.    
  


“Please my lady. It’s the least we can offer in thanks!”

“Aye, jus’ leave it on the table then?”

“Oh yes! Yes!” The man deposited the parcel, bowed and quickly left.

Astrid considered laughing at the situations Merida was constantly finding herself in, if only she didn’t find it incredibly awkward to even try. 

“How abou’ we start the questions in the baths? Ah can guarantee us an uninterrupted conversation there.”

Astrid weighed the suggestion as yet another villager made their way towards the table. Deciding that Merida’s suggestion, again, had merit she simply nodded and stood up reaching for their plates.

“Leave it. Ah’ll need something ta distract my newest visitor.” Merida said and directed a warm smile to the next person seeking her attention, “Oh! Jus’ in time! Do ye mind taking care o’ these? Astrid and Ah need ta go attend ta something immediately.”

Astrid remained impassive as the man lunged to grab the dirty plates and cutlery. Merida picked up both of their meads and gestured towards the door. “Shall we?”

Following Merida out, Astrid was soon being led towards the eastern gate. 

“Don’ mind us! Jus’ gonnae wash off the grime from the day!” Merida called out to the guard who jumped down to open up the gate.

“Would you like an escort?” the female guard asked as her and Merida walked through the gate.

“Nae, ah think the two of us should be jus’ fine.” 

With a nod the guard watched them pass through the gate. The sun’s light was obstructed by the forest and town walls casting the eastern portion of the forest in a fading yellow blending to pink twilight. As her eyes adjusted to the fading light, the surroundings sank into a growing darkness and made the evenly spaced torches sun-bright beacons painful to gaze upon. She found herself squinting about every fifty paces or so to make the light bearable as they marched towards the town baths. Why they were located outside of the village walls was another mystery to her. 

The path was well worn, hard-packed dirt from constant use by the village. Silence blanketed the woods around the path as a changing of the guard passed as the creatures of daylight bedded down and those of night began stirring. The footsteps of the two tired women blended seamlessly with the ambient chorus growing throughout the woods as the sun sank below the horizon. They approached a glave in the forest and a set of four torches marking a rectangular hole. Astrid’s curiosity got the better of her and she pulled ahead of Merida to take a closer look. 

She stopped right at the edge and stared at the entrance to an underground tunnel. The hole was lined in cut grey stone along the walls and around the edge, with six steps leading down to the tunnel itself. 

“This can’t be the bath entrance.”

“It is, bu’ where is the guard?”

Merida looked around the surrounding trees then jerked her head back to the hole. 

  
  


“Och! Ye no’ paid ta catch up on yer sleep here, Phaenna!”

Astrid heard the thud of a body hitting the ground before a familiar feline guard poked her head out of the tunnel, looking up sheepishly. 

Phaenna cast her eyes down in embarrassment and shame, “Yes ma’am. Sorry ma’am.”

Shaking her head, Merida walked down the stairs to the small guard and scolded her for not getting enough sleep at home. The dressing down ended quickly with Merida leaving instructions no one was to enter, aside from Hiccup, while they were in the baths. Phaenna gave an affirming nod and climbed the steps to take her post outside of the entrance.

Astrid gave Phaenna an empathetic smile as she followed Merida down into the tunnel. 

The tunnel leading was angled at a steady decline, Astrid expected the air to grow cooler when it only got warmer and more humid. Scrutinizing the walls and floor, she could see man-made marks of chiseling and shaping providing a uniform hallway for two people to walk abreast, although taller people would need to hunch down a bit. Wooden supports were spaced ten to fifteen feet apart providing stability to the tunnel. 

The path came to a fork leading Merida to stop and point down the left branch. 

“Tha’ way leads ta the communal baths. It can hold abou’ twenty people at a time, so jus’ make sure ye time yer bath accordingly. The baths through here are meh and Hic’s private one. It’s much smaller and mos’ people respect it bein off-limits.”

Merida walked down the path on the right with Astrid right behind her. The walls lost the chiseling marks and transitioned to a natural design. The pathway became increasingly uneven and difficult to traverse; fortunately, Astrid did not have to walk too far to reach their goal. A small chamber about 15 feet both in width and length with a pool of water bubbling in the center. The hot spring took up about two-thirds of the room, heating it to a sweltering temperature based on how quickly Merida’s dress was becoming soaked with her sweat. Astrid found it wondrous. Indicating a flat patch of floor to get undressed, Merida made her way opposite of Astrid across the small pool of water and set her mead on the ground. Astrid was motioned to follow suit.

“Arigh’ watch yer step, I’ll hand ye soap once we’re settled.”

With no further ceremony, Astrid watched Merida undo clasps and pull strings to loosen her dress and begin shimming out. Astrid set her mead down and tugged at her boots as she observed the top half of Merida’s exposed body. She didn’t wear a chest wrap, her skin was just as pale if not a shade lighter and had freckles covering most of her chest above her breasts. There was a light pink scar running from the bottom of her ribs on the left side down to her hip bone. Astrid had seen a similar one on a guard back home, it had been received from a blade cut. Merida’s breasts were larger than hers, not as firm but had not succumbed sagging downwards like many women around her size tended to do. 

Astrid pulled her pants off and set her clothes on a dry patch of ground while Merida worked her dress down her hips and revealed a tuft of curly red hair. At least Merida had not lost all of her hair below the neck as she had, her legs a light dusting of red hair. Her curves were more pronounced than Astrid’s before the change, and did not have the same definition of muscle. Astrid knew she was strong from personal experience, and probably had endurance to match.

They shared a sigh of relief once they submerged into the hot water. Astrid closed her eyes and groaned as her muscles slowly leached out the tension. She couldn’t remember the last time she had the joy of an actual hot spring and decided it was a wonderful benefit to staying in the village. Even if she would have to share the larger spring with the others.

“Ooooohhhhh ah do love this. Cannae wait ta scrub the damn tanners stench off meh!”

Astrid’s lips quirked into a genuine smile at the woman’s candor. Opening her eyes she saw that Merida had put both arms on the edge of the pool, giving her a buoy in the chest-deep water. Astrid was interested to see a few sparse strands of red hair in Merida’s armpits. She supposed the latest capital grooming trend had not made its way this far north yet.

Both women sat in comfortable silence for several minutes before Astrid remembered the ever-present litany of questions she wanted answered. She lowered her face into the water and scrubbed it clean. Wiping the excess water away, Astrid grabbed her mead and sipped it to wet her throat.

“So what advice do you have for me to help suppress my senses and to keep me from speaking my thoughts aloud?”

Astrid appreciated the small gesture of Merida straightening up and looking her in the eye to answer her questions. It was small, but conveyed Merida was paying attention.

“Simply pu’ Astrid, practice. Like ah said two days ago when we spoke on the guard tower, yer body and mind are new so ye have ta train it ta do wha’ ye want.”

“Wait. Two days?! I was asleep for 2 days?!”

The motherly smile found it’s way back onto the redhead’s face as she nodded. “Day and a half. The change takes a lot of energy. Ah’m a bit surprised ye didnae sleep longer. Hic said he was asleep fer a week after his firs’ change.”

Her mind urged her to go down this conversation tangent, a new target to throw her mental hatchet at until she forced herself to stay on her original target.

“You said practice. I get training myself to not speak my thoughts aloud, but how do I force my nose to not pick up every individual scent I come across?”

“Tha’ will take time and patience. It’s a mixture of yer human and soul creature senses. Eventually ye will be able ta use any range between the two. Ye’ll need a mentor ta make it a bi’ easier.”

“How long will it take to get control over my senses?”

“Depends on the person. Ye seem ta be the dedicated type, so shorter than most if ah had ta guess.”

“Hiccup already told me it takes practice to gain control over my transformations, as well. I have assumed what you two know came from experience. What else do you know about the curse? Where did it come from? Why are there so many different animals afflicted with it? Is there a way to reverse it?”

Stormfly bristled at the mention of reversing the curse and Astrid quickly reassured her she wasn’t trying to get rid of her. She just wanted answers. As she placated her dragon, Merida took a sip of her mead and reached over for a bar of lavender-scented soap. She got out of the water and sat on the edge as she started running the bar over her skin.

“We did ge’ most of our knowledge from experience. A lo’ of it was hard-earned through pain and loss. Ah do know it cannae be cured, once ye joined with yer soul creature the only way ta be parted is death. As fer where it arose and why so many creatures, tha’ has ta do with those tha’ created the curse.”

Frowning, Astrid recalled several myths and stories surrounding werecreatures, “Are you talking about the gods?”

Standing up to finishing lathering her body with soap, Merida shook her head and carefully lowered herself back into the steaming water.

“Not the gods, tha’ would be an easy scapegoat though. Nae, this curse was created some time long ago by a pact of Druids.” The questions nearly flew out of her mouth and Astrid bit her tongue when Merida held up a hand “Let meh answer the questions yeh already asked before ye ask meh more.” 

Astrid held up her hand for the soap, “It’ll help me keep my mouth shut if I’m doing something else.”

Merida snorted and passed the bar over. 

“From wha’ we figured ou’ the Druids of ol’ came together ta create a sanctuary of sorts fer the many beasties ou’ in the world. Mankind was spreading ou’ farther and farther, killing more than could be balanced by nature and more than one beast no longer roams because o’ man. So they set abou’ warding a giant forest where the beasties can live in peace. It failed. Mages destroyed their wards and man was able ta keep huntin and killin fer sport. We’re no’ sure which o’ the Druids came up with this curse, bu’ shortly after more and more stories of par’ man and par’ beastie monsters running around came about. The curse gives any creatures tha’ calls this forest home another chance at life by simply biting a man or woman when they’re life is abou’ ta end. Tha’ is why we have a menagerie in our village.”

Astrid had finished rubbing soap on her body halfway through Merida’s explanation, it went unnoticed as she took in the information. She lowered herself back in as her skin cooled enough to stir her from contemplative silence.

“If the druids created the curse, have you not tried to ask another druid to lift it?”

“We have and she wasnae interested in helping with tha’. Agrees with her predecessors. Havnae found another ta ask, reclusive the lo’ of them.”

Astrid exhaled sharply making a small ripple in the steaming water. Pondering on her mental targets, she was about ready to move on to the next. She hesitated as there was one more myth she wanted clarity on.

“What about the werewolves? Are they part of this curse as well? The stories I know always have one wolf that bit several people and they all turned into werewolves.”

“They are a par’ o’ the curse. Wha’ tends ta happen is a group of people will go after a pack o’ wolves preying on their livestock. Group all ge’ bitten, pack dies and two weeks later ye have new wolves.”

She sensed there was something missing to Merida’s answer, the same way her uncle Finn would leave out parts of his battle stories from being in the army. Answering yet not completely. 

Astrid’s guard training insisted she pursue the topic further, “So there’s no truth to one werewolf infecting multiple people?”

She locked eyes with Merida. Usually people would squirm under the focus, but Merida returned the stare without flinching. She eventually blinked and rolled her head side-to-side. 

Slowly she answered, “There is truth ta it, ah wan’ ye ta know tha’ it doesnae pertain ta ye since ye have bonded with Stormfly.” Merida shifted in the water, like she was uncomfortable and couldn’t find a good position. “Those tha’ don’t bond with their soul creatures become feral, and if they’re near a human settlement they’ll attack relentlessly spreading the curse ta each they bite. It only happens with lycanthropes and no’ with the original creature. Ah have spoken with our druid friend abou’ this and it seems ta be an intentional side effect from the curse.”

“Then why hasn’t there been an army of feral werecreatures running rampant through major cities?”

“Ah think ye know why.” The quirked eyebrow gave Astrid pause to consider the possibilities to her question.

“The bounties for werecreatures. They’re hunted before they can become an epidemic.”

“Aye. Those bounties are a blessing and nightmare all in one. Too many and people start ta wonder where the source o’ the problem is located. Though they do give us locations of where the ferals are causing havoc.”

There were more and more questions she wanted to ask, but didn’t have a clear line to work her way through. 

Astrid’s skin became stiff with dried soap, she washed it and her new questions away; instead, she started down the next line of prepared questions, “Do those you rescue, like myself, ever leave the village to make their own way?”

She didn’t miss the tensing of Merida’s shoulders after she asked the question.  _ That was interesting. Does she not want me to leave...did I say that out loud?! NO, I SAID IT IN MY HEAD! HA!  _

The squawk of annoyance felt extremely clear, ‘Stop yelling!’ Astrid ducked her head in embarrassment and turned her attention back to Merida.

“There have been a few. They...they donnae do well. Mos’ we ended up rescuing again or… burying. Mos’ are no’ fortunate ta have easy ta hide physical alterations after the change. No matter how careful they are, eventually someone finds ou’ and… well the village is here fer a reason.”

“Oh.”

Astrid could see the pain written on Merida’s face and held off on her next question. It didn’t take long for the conversation to continue with a question from Merida.

“Have ye been pondering wha’ ye wan’ ta do now tha’ ye’ve had a chance ta think abou’ it?”

_ Not beating around the bush there. Gods, never thought I would be so happy to internalize my words.  _

Astrid nodded, “Yes, it’s why I went to the forest, needed to get some organization to my thoughts. Having my life completely upended in the last three days is something I hadn’t considered being a possibility before. I find myself with no job, no money, no possessions aside from the clothes on my back and they don’t really belong to me! So figuring out how to change was top of my concerns.”

“Nothing too complicated. Working would give ye the coin ta ge’ the other things. Wha’ do ye think o’ continue yer guard work? Phaenna is par’ o’ the scouts, little group called “The Pride”, having a set o’ eyes in the sky would be invaluable for them.”

“That would be helpful, it would save me from needing to learn a new trade.”

“Good. Ah’ll set ye up a meeting with the lead guard. Oh, unless ye can build yer own house it’ll cost a bit o’ coin to have one built. O’ course ye could always move in with someone, a few housemates versus an entire hall’s worth.”

“Tempting, except I barely know you and Hiccup much less anyone else in the village. So looks like I’m staying in the hall for the time being, but I wouldn’t mind you explaining some village dynamics and oddities I’ve noticed.”

Merida chuckled, “And what migh’ those be?” 

“Where does the money to support this village come from? You have cobblestoned roads, every building has glass windows, and there are communal meals twice each day! I saw no roads coming to the village, no nearby trading posts, and the coast is weeks of travel away so no port.”

Astrid wasn’t sure what to make of the appraising look Merida was giving her. Had she noticed something she wasn’t meant to see? Merida let her gaze rise up to the damp stone ceiling as she answered.

“Me and Hiccup. We had the coin ta build, feed and generally suppor’ the village in the beginning. As we rescued more skilled people, their excess wares were sold in markets around the kingdom by Hiccup. We take a cut from the sales for transport and continued suppor’ o’ the village. Some grumblin here and there abou’ how much we take, bu’ no one goes hungry, there’s a bed if needed, and town guards fer safety.”

The skepticism Astrid had was evident in her tone, “You get enough in transport tax to pay for all you do in the village?!”

Merida’s indifference was a jarring contrast as she said, “Glass isnae cheap, and we have a few other speciality items tha’ no one else can make. Premium prices for excellent products.”

Astrid couldn’t fathom how much they were selling their wares at to support a growing village, it seemed a stretch to accept that was the only form of income they had at their disposal. No, there was something else…

“The bounties.”

“Wha’ abou’ them?” Merida responded slowly.

“The rewards for those are not small. In fact, pulling off a handful is enough for a bounty hunter to not work for a few seasons. Several if they’re smart about it. So… do you collect on them?” Astrid watched Merida’s face twist like she had bitten something rotten.

“We do. It keeps the number of active bounties down and helps us obtain more supplies fer the village.” Merida’s tone left no doubt that she was done talking on that particular subject. Astrid couldn’t blame her.

Stormfly didn’t seem to care how the money was acquired, she made it clear she was extremely pleased Hiccup was providing for his people. Stormfly purred in appreciation, sending Astrid a strong urge of showing that gratitude. 

_ I’m not doing that. _

Brushing the dragon’s sensations to the side, Astrid asked her next question.

“Aside from you and me, everyone’s clothes are either skin-tight leather or billowing reams of cloth. Why do they wear one extreme or the other?”

“As ye showed up withou’ a stitch of yer own clothing after ye transformed, the same thing happened ta everyone else. So we started wearing clothes tha’ were far larger than us and it spared mos’ the cloth when someone would transform. Thanks ta Hiccup, and those wonderful pants o’ his, we found ou’ tha’ skin tight clothing didnae rip when we changed. It simply melded with tha’ transformation and when we changed back the clothes were there. Ah would say ye be needin a set of the tight sort. Hic told meh yer dragon is the largest transformation in the village, bigger than meh own.”

_ What kind of bear bit her that’s she’s nearly as big as a dragon?! Nope. Find out later. Next thing is... _

“I haven’t seen any children in the village and as established as you are it makes sense that you should have a few running around. Does becoming a lycanthrope make women barren or men sterile?”

Merida blew out an exasperated breath and shook her head, “Ye were paying closer attention than ah though’.” She emptied her mead before continuing, “Ah donnae see any reason ta sugar coat this, aye, becoming a lycanthrope makes ye incapable o’ having bairns.”

Astrid flinched as her chance at motherhood was ripped away. She hadn’t seriously entertained the idea of becoming a parent, and found solace in that it was her choice to make. She was cold at the growing injustice of that ability being taken without any say on her end.

Her anger seethed as she forced out a response, “I see.”

She knew Merida could see and hear her fury, but she didn’t comment on it and provided more details to her acquired condition.

“From wha’ we can discern it occurs during the initial change. Ye and yer soul creature lose the ability ta have wee ones. In place o’ tha’ a simple bite passes along the curse. Hic said it was like an illness spread around a village. Yer gonnae bite more people versus bedding them, so it guarantees more beasties.” 

“No kids. Got it.”

“Aye, unless they’re bitten.” 

Astrid’s eyes bulged out at the possibility, “What do you mean if they’re bitten?!”

“The feral ones donnae pick and choose who they bite. We have a few families with wee ones tha’ manage the farms outside the village. Ah’ll take ye ta see them later on.” Merida’s nonplussed response shook Astrid at her core.

_ How can she just say that without being horrified?! This isn’t commenting on the fucking weather! _

_ Gods… I’ve never heard any myth or legend of werewolf children. I didn’t think… Fuck that’s horrible.  _

Astrid cupped the steaming water in her hands and use it to scrub her face clean. 

_ This curse is farther reaching than I could have imagined. What else don’t I know? _

Giving Merida a pointed look, Astrid’s sarcasm laced her next question, “Any other changes I should be aware of?”

“Ah don’ think ye have experienced it yet bu’ there is another side effect from yer change on a larger scale. Most o’ the creatures we’re bound ta have a hierarchical social structure, usually one leader or  _ Alpha _ to rule and it applies ta all o’ us. We didnae notice it until there was abou’ forty or so of us living together fer an extended time, and when we did it caused a whole new rash of problems.” Merida rubbed her head and said, “Tha’ comes with a plethora o’ different headaches.”

Astrid mulled over the new revelation. 

Lowering her head under the water, she ran her fingers through her hair to wash out dirt and sweat. Who the Alpha was for the village became clear as she slotted her observations together. 

Sticking her head out of the water she gave voice to her thoughts, “The gifts, the overeager acts to help, and those looks from the women...you’re the Alpha aren’t you.”

“No’ quite the Alpha bu’ Ah’m  _ very _ close ta him though.” Merida wiggled her eyebrows at Astrid.

“Hiccup?!”

“Hiccup.”

“Is that why Stormfly wants me to bow down and show my, my…”

“Gratitude? Respect?”

“Yes! She keeps showing me visions of her bowing her head, being almost subservient. It’s because he’s the Alpha?”

Merida nodded and washed her own hair. “Aye, he’s our fearless leader and ah’m his law enforcing  _ Queen _ .”

“That’s why I’m so flustered by him. He’s the Alpha and I’m attracted to that, even though you’re with him. I’m sorry, I don’t pursue people that are attached. That’s not who I am.”

Merida laughed not unkindly, “Oh wee lamb. It’s no’ because he’s the Alpha yer smitten. Is yer soul creature screaming a’ ye ta take him ta bed every time ye think o’ him? Have any desires ta rip meh throat ou’ ta remove the competition?”

Astrid was so shocked and appalled at the last statement she needn’t even respond.

“Ah didnae think so. It will take a few more days, maybeh even a week fer it ta take effect. Ah’m no’ saying ye’ll be effected like mos’ o’ the village either. This social caste isnae one size fits all. Some acknowledge Hiccup as the leader and move on, others wan’ the position fer themselves and challenge from time ta time. Ah donnae know where ye’ll fall in there. So try no’ ta worry too much jus’ ye’.”

Faces of open admiration and lust danced before her eyes, all of them directed at Merida during their recent meal.  _ ‘Ah’m very close ta him.’ _

_ They’re competing for favor with the leader through her.  _

“Are the challenges common for leadership?”

Astrid watched Merida’s face fall, unmasked sadness emanating out of her being, “Aye. Hic receives an Alpha challenge every harvest season fer righ’ ta lead. So, once a year a man thinks he’ll make a better Alpha and gets beaten bloody by Hic in fron’ o’ everyone. Show he’s still Alpha and discourage the rest.”

“How many times has Hiccup been challenged?”

“Over a hundred.”

“Is there even a hundred men in the village?!”

“There are now, in the beginning when the ruler trait began affecting us there were several leadership fights a week. Ah didnae think we’d survive as a group tha’ firs’ year.” Merida’s eyes glazed over, her eyes staring at some distant memory and her arms hugged her middle. She slowly ran her finger up and down the scar Astrid saw earlier. “Perhaps ye migh’ move ta a differen’ topic, ah donnae have any fond memories o’ the challenges.”

Astrid nodded numbly at Merida’s request, yet her mind spun web upon web of possibilities with what she now knew and what she didn’t have a clue about. There was so much more to learn about these dynamics and being a lycanthrope. Was there a chance she would one day fight Merida for Hiccup’s affections? What if she went feral, would they put her down before she hurt someone?

“There were expectations in my old village for any that called it home. Contributing to winter food stores, assisting neighbors that fell on hard times, helping out with harvests, and several other tasks.” Astrid finished off her mead and said, “ What about here, is it the same?”

“Yes and nae. Hic and ah take the responsibility o’ seeing food stores are kept stocked and prepared fer winter. Everyone makes a contribution ta seeing their village safe and sturdy. We havnae had anyone leave the village since we built the firs’ building. Only lost a handful in the las’ five years ta injury or disease. 

“No one wants to leave?”

“Where would they go, Astrid? They’re cursed. So feared by the capital and other settlements tha’ even an accusation is enough ta burn a man at the stake. This is the only place they won’ be killed on sight, or ostracized by rumors.” Merida pulled herself out of the water and grabbed two towels sitting in a cutout on the wall. “Come on. We can keep talkin on the way back.”

Astrid climbed out of the water and caught the towel Merida tossed her. She missed the warmth of the water, but appreciated the feeling of being clean. Astrid toweled herself dry and picked up her clothes, frowning at putting on the filthy garments.

“Here. Ah keep a spare jus’ incase.”

Astrid looked up to see Merida holding a long shift. Walking around the pool, she grabbed the off white outfit and pulled it over her head. It stopped at her knees, the material was soft and wouldn’t provide much warmth but it would get her back to town.

“Thank you”

“Donnae worry abou’ it. Come along, let’s see if Phaenna kept herself awake!”

The walk out passed quickly and they bid an alert Phaenna a good evening following the torches back to town. Astrid’s eyes still had a difficult time adjusting to the glaring torchlight and she took her mind off of it by asking her final question for the day. 

“I want to thank you for being kind and welcoming, I’ve seen my old town council do the same for the odd refugee or traveler that stayed permanently. That being said, on more than one occasion it came back to hurt the village whether they were thieves, marauder spy, or in one case a murderer. Has that not happened here? Have you been fortunate to never experience betrayal by those you offer refuge?”

A light breeze stirred the women’s hair and brought the lightest scent of fresh rainfall. Astrid watched Merida turn her head into the wind and slow her walk until she was standing in the middle of the path. 

“Mah damn nose is still no’ working from the tanners. What do ye smell in the air, Astrid?”

Astrid concentrated on finding on the smells in the wind and took a long sniff. 

“You, the various smells of the town, and fresh rainfall.”

“So we have a storm comin. It will bring the water we need fer the fields, refill watering ponds, and all the things rain is good fer. Bu’ the storm may be a bad one, lots o’ wind ta tear off roofs, lightning tha’ll start fires, and mebe kill someone caugh’ unawares. We do wha’ we can ta minimize the danger and ge’ the mos’ good out o’ each storm.”

Merida turned to look at her.

“Each lycanthrope we rescue is a storm, Astrid. We look fer the signs one will be trouble, and do everything we can to bring ou’ the good. We’ve been hurt by bad ones, ah’ve been hurt by bad ones. Doesnae mean ah am gonnae run and cower when there’s the chance ta help one o’ meh kind.”

Astrid was at a loss for words and felt uncharacteristically vulnerable under Merida’s compassionate eyes.

“Alrigh’ ah’m sure ye’ve go’ more questions, bu’ how abou’ we save them fer yer Mentor.”

Astrid cocked an eyebrow at the redhead and asked, “What mentor?”

The smile was coy and hid a dozen meanings as Merida replied, “Why Hiccup o’ course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have read several works where the author mentions they had to split a chapter apart for whatever reason. That happened with this chapter and the one before.
> 
> As always feel free to leave any comments or questions, and a kudos if you haven't yet :)
> 
> Let me know what y'all think.


	7. You, Me, and Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An early morning, new revelations, and a mother nature gut punch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you miss it, there has been a 3 month time skip.

“Astrid…”

The purr against her ear vibrated down to her core. Astrid moaned encouragingly in her sleep, burrowing deeper under the soft blanket. There was a kitten teasing her dreams and she was going to catch her.

“Astrid.”

Less teasing this time, it seems like her kitty was getting impatient. Her thoughts were sluggish, and she slowly turned her ear towards the calling voice. It didn’t matter, she had time to find her and pick up from where they left off last night.

**“Astrid.”**

Astrid paused in her lucid dream. She pushed through the haze of not enough sleep and picked up on the warning her brain kept repeating. The voice wasn’t coming from her dreams.

_ She’s never used that tone in bed...oh no… _

Astrid barely braced herself in time before being unceremoniously dumped onto the cold floor. She managed to roll and land prone with her hands taking the impact and sparing her face.

“Uuuunnnnngggghhhhhh. Phaenna what the Hel?!”

She sucked in a sharp breath between her teeth, pushed up to her feet and wrapped the blanket around her body, fighting to keep the last remnants of the soothing warmth from the uprighted bed. It fell back down and her fellow scout appeared on the other side, hands on hips. Astrid stared at the lithe, compact, nude woman and her mouth went dry at the sight. 

“Ah, ah. Keep those wants in your head. You’ve got a mission.” Phaenna’s curt tone brought Astrid’s wayward thoughts back to her current predicament.

“What do you mean a mission? We’re both off duty today, remember? That’s why we went deep into our cups and chased everyone out of the baths last night.” Dropping the blanket to the wooden floor, Astrid waved her hands over the bed. “We get to sleep as late as we want.”

“Well, that changed. For you at least.” 

The tiny feline guard shrugged her shoulders dismissively. She bent over to grab a pair of beige leather pants and a matching cropped vest, tossing the clothing into Astrid’s face. “Merida is waiting for you at the West Gate. Said she would have your supplies waiting on you.” Her voice teased as she slowly crawled back into the bed, stretching out over the now expansive mattress, “Mind covering me up? I plan on sleeping, seeing as I still don’t have work.” 

Pulling the clothing off her head, Astrid stared at her lover in disbelief, “Yes I fucking mind! Why am I being sent out?! And why are you not going with me?!”

“Hey. Don’t shoot the messenger,” Phaenna calmly retorted before she lifted up her hands and made a grabbing motion, “Blanket?”

Their first day off in a fortnight was gone and Phaenna got to go back to sleep. “Gods, I prefer your tongue being used for anything else other than talking. Catty asshole!” Astrid balled the blanket up and chucked it at the bed, wishing it was something heavier.

“Yes, yes and I’ll be happy to use it to make you scream when you get back. Have fun!” Phaenna drawled out as she straightened the blanket out and tucked herself under it.

Astrid jerked her hands and tightened the lace on her vest, cursing as she stepped out of Phaenna’s home and looked over the eastern wall. The sun was beginning to peak over the wall; it was earlier than she wanted to be awake, and she craved a cool drink to offset the alcohol from last night. She finger-combed her hair the best she could, and did a quick, messy braid as she walked through the quiet village. Grimacing at the swollen feel and acrid taste of her tongue, Astrid turned towards the Great Hall and jogged in to grab a mug of watered ale and a hunk of bread with honey-butter.

Fortunately, the Hall was fairly empty, meaning less chance of someone bidding her a good morning. Astrid wasn’t fond of waking up when she got plenty of sleep and the chance of taking her ire out on a ‘morning’ person was almost a guarantee today. She considered grabbing a seat and eating quickly, but Phaenna didn’t say how long she spent waking her up. Astrid didn’t want Merida waiting on her longer than was necessary. She collected her meager breakfast and decided to not tempt fate or her patience, and headed towards the west gate. 

She took the quickest route to the gate and washed her mouth out with a bit of her ale. Her hunk of bread was mercifully soft and warm, the honey butter added a wonderful sweetness to the tartness of the sourdough bread. Astrid swallowed the last bite of her breakfast then washed it down with the rest of her ale. Tossing her cup behind a house, Astrid found Merida standing atop the guard tower scanning the eastern sky. 

“I was told you have an assignment for me!” she called out and caught the redhead’s attention.

Merida turned and smiled. “Aye, tha’ ah do!” 

Astrid silently groaned at the chipper sound of Merida’s voice. 

_ She’s a morning person. _

She climbed down the ladder and as she walked over, Astrid noticed dark shadows under her eyes, tense shoulders and a strained smile. Her scent reeked of dried sweat and the pungent stench of not seeing the baths in several days. It was strong enough to stir Stormfly awake.

_ :She worries: _

Stormfly shook her head and cocked it to the side looking for the cause of Merida’s distress.

_ Hmmm, let’s see if she’ll tell us why. _

“Everything alright, Merida?” Astrid kept her voice just above a whisper, looking into her friend’s bloodshot eyes.

Merida huffed out a humorless laugh and craned her neck back to gaze out into the morning sky.

“Wha’ do ye think has meh hair curling more than it already does?” she murmured.

“Less of a what and more of a who. Troublesome news about Hiccup?”

She continued to stare into the clear blue sky, searching. 

“Aye. He was delivering a set of manacles in the capital and caugh’ word o’ werewolf attacks on the western coast. He sent word ta have supplies ready fer when he comes back.”

“And he wants to chase after another lead. See if he can find and save a new rescue, or stop a feral werewolf from causing more damage.” Astrid shook her head at how frustrating that man could be, always going on these missions alone- “Wait, he requested me to go with him?”

Merida sighed and shook her head, sending her curls cascading back and forth, “Nae, bu’ ah am.” She lowered her eyes from the sky back to Astrid’s. “Will ye go and bring tha’ idiot back to meh, to us alive?”

The naked fear Merida emanated out of her eyes suffused the air around them and caused Astrid to hesitate. Her shoulders grew heavy. Exasperated, concerned, and angry were all things Astrid had come to see from her friend, but she never let anyone see her afraid. 

Astrid bit her tongue from replying automatically that she would. She did not have any reservations about going along and watching Hiccup’s back. Hel they made a great team during his mentoring of her over the last three months and worked seamlessly together now. Plus, he told great stories and he was definitely a feast for the eyes when he flew. But something about Merida’s behavior made her wary. Still, Merida wouldn’t ask unless it was important, especially on her day off. 

Gold draconic eyes met sky blue ones, “I promise I’ll bring him back alive and in one piece.”

This time the smile was sincere. Merida pulled Astrid into a tight hug making her back pop and crushing all the air out of her lungs. 

“Thank ye.”

“Mer..Mer.. Air…”

Astrid inhaled and winced at her sore ribs when she was released. 

_ Gods! I really think she’s telling the truth about being the strongest. Not even Hiccup can squeeze me that hard. _

Stormfly chuckled at her human’s discomfort before directing their attention to the southeast.

_ :Alpha comes: _

She strained her eyes and sense of smell for the smallest of changes to locate the winged Alpha. Together, they sniffed at the same time and found the faintest scent of worn leather and rain coming from the east-southeast. Squinting their eyes at the brightening horizon, Astrid could make out a small dragon growing larger and more human with each passing second. Astrid found herself smiling as a knot of tension she hadn’t noticed eased itself out of her chest and into nothing. 

“Astrid.”

Astrid glanced back at her friend, expecting a similar smile and stopped her eyes from going wide. Merida obsessively watched Hiccup's approach, her shoulders drew back, hands clasped behind her and her visage hardened with each wingbeat.

“Yer axe and cloak are at the seamstress house. Ah took the liberty ta have maintenance done on them. Yer pack will be waitin’ fer ye once ye come back.” 

She paused momentarily before nodding and heading back across the village. Like a missing puzzle missing the last piece, Astrid mulled over Merida’s behavior. Something was off and she just couldn’t place what was causing it.

_ :Problem?: _

In the quiet glen where Stormfly’s spirit relaxed, the dragon appeared to lift her head and stare into Astrid’s eyes. She was more concerned over Astrid’s disquiet instead of Merida’s uncharacteristic anxiety. 

_ She’s usually more in control of her emotions, even when Hiccup is gone on his solo missions. Something is different this time around, but I haven’t figured out what it is yet. _

Stormfly pressed her snout into Astrid’s back and nuzzled her gently. Astrid smiled and let her concern fade to the back of her mind as she side-stepped villagers heading to their morning duties. Freshly cut pine resin teased Astrid’s nose as she walked past the carpenter’s hall and walked in the open door of the seamstress hall. She greeted the cheery woman with a forced smile, a concealed eye roll and waited for her to return with her belongings. 

The new, darker cloth patch stood out against the faded color of her cloak and the smaller tears had been stitched close. Her axe handle sported a new leather grip and the blade was sharpened with not a notch in sight. Stepping back out into the sunlight, she glanced up at the sky and was confused when she did not see Hiccup’s form flying in from the East. Taking a quick sniff, she found the strong aroma of rain and worn leather emanating to the west. Astrid’s feet carried her towards the source of his scent, dodging the growing number of villagers going about their business. 

She crossed the main street and went between houses to avoid the crowded thoroughfare. The air was cooler in the small walkways and held the surrounding odor of mildew. The contrast of Hiccup’s scent was a nice change and grew stronger as Astrid drew closer to the west gate. 

_ He must have landed right at the gate. _

Astrid heard Merida and Hiccup before she saw them and the hard tone was enough to give her pause. Merida’s harsh, demanding voice starkly contrasted Hiccup’s dismissive responses as he checked the contents of his bag. He looked at Merida only after he closed the bag. 

Tuning her ears to the conversation she was able to catch the tail end of their words.

“Mer. I don’t need anyone! It’s safer for everyone if I go-”

“Don’ ye dare finish tha’! Mah word is final on this! Ye promised. She’s ready, so she goes! ”

Astrid slowly walked up, the two off by themselves while the gate guard pointedly ignored the argument as it continued. She caught Hiccup’s eye as he glanced away, annoyance painted on his face.

“She’s goin. It’s time!” Merida’s voice dropped to a low growl with her last words, and Hiccup faced Merida and squared his shoulders. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He leaned over and touched his forehead to Merida’s. He released a heavy sigh and whispered he would acquiesce to Merida’s demands.

Merida inhaled and backed away from Hiccup, went over to the guard tower to pick up a bag lying next to the ladder, turned on her heel and walked over to Astrid.

“Here, let meh help yeh.” Merida’s voice was gravelly and tired. 

Astrid nodded, allowing Merida to put the new, dark brown, leather bag on. It didn’t have any pockets, and it was held closed by a leather drawstring. The straps were too long and thicker than what would be needed for a simple traveling bag. It was solid against her lower back, full of what she needed for the trip, hopefully.

“This is a special design o’ Hiccup’s. It’ll accommodate fer yer dragon form. Waterproof. Durable…” Merida’s voice trailed off, her hands on Astrid’s shoulders. 

Merida’s lips quivered as she forced herself to smile, “Yer ready fer this, yeh have been since ye joined us.” 

Astrid gave a kind smile in appreciation at the praise.

Merida firmly squeezed her shoulders. Considering her ribs were still sore, Astrid was grateful Merida found her self-control once again, rather than nearly breaking her shoulder.

“This is no’ easy fer me, Astrid. But ah wouldnae trust anyone else ta do this. Jus’ remember everything we talked abou’ and bring mah idiot and his amazing ass back ta meh in one piece and breathing, yeah?”

Astrid blew out a slow breath, “Anything, in particular, I should recall? Three months’ worth of advice is a lot to remember.”

Merida barked out a short laugh and pulled Astrid into a tight hug whispering, “Whatever keeps you safe.” 

Astrid wrapped her arms around her friend and held her close. She took in a deep breath and relaxed slightly as Merida’s scent carried less stress and more of her usual smell. Stormfly guided their hand as she rubbed in a small circle on Merida’s back. They said nothing and made no indication they felt the minute tremors their friend let out. 

Letting her go, Astrid watched Merida go back over to Hiccup and pull him into a heated kiss. 

“Okay, Astrid! Wings only and follow me!” Hiccup called out to her and spread his own wings before jumping into the air with a power downstroke.

Astrid shook her head at Hiccup’s impatience. She saw Stormfly hopping impatiently from foot to foot as she closed her eyes.

_ Ready? _

An affirmative chirp and their arms started to itch as the nadder scales replaced skin. Astrid couldn’t help but feel excited with Stormfly, there was absolutely nothing like soaring through the sky. It didn’t stop her shuddering as their fingers grew impossibly long to form the ribs of the wing membrane. Bouncing on the balls of their feet, they watched the last of the wing membrane grow into place and finish the partial transformation.

Giving one last nod to Merida, they pumped their wings twice before launching into the clear morning sky.

***

Sunsets would never be the same after Astrid saw them from the sky.

The clouds ignited into lush oranges that faded into reddish pinks and pale purple-indigo, holding onto the fading light. The relentless, endless void of night would swallow the colors and replace the painted sky with a calming serenity of twinkling white gems. There were never any trees, mountains, or towns to obstruct the living art that existed only in the air as she soared above the clouds. Before she had wings, sunset meant securing the town gate, preparing for the horrors only the night could bring and pray to make it to the morning. 

Now?

They were beautiful. Inspiring. Something to cherish for as many days as she had in this new life. 

Astrid turned her attention away from the sky and back to their campsite for the night. She set about to gather wood for their fire while Hiccup was out hunting down dinner. 

_ Maybe I should start writing these little words down. What do you think? Fill up a journal and then travel around performing at all the roadside taverns? Use all the wonders we see from up high to woo the everyday man and woman? _

_ :Can’t sing: _

Stormfly bowed her head up and down playfully in front of Astrid, dodging back and forth. Astrid had learned early on that Stormfly excelled at teasing her, but Astrid could give as good as she got.

_ You? Of course not. I would do it. _

Stormfly stopped her dancing around and petulantly turned her back to Astrid laying down on the ground. She turned her head back and chuffed out a dismissive breath.

_ :Dying goat screams sound better: _

Astrid stopped and dropped an armload of wood for her and Hiccup’s campfire. This wasn’t the first time she had heard that specific description of her singing skill.

_ You’re taking Phaenna’s side?! _

_ :Not wrong: _

She stared as the nadder’s tail lazily swished back and forth over the glen’s stone, much like an old barn cat she played with growing up. That cat would always retreat somewhere almost out of reach after teasing her for attention, dragging her tail tempting Astrid to come after her. Any attention was good attention for that cat and this dragon. Astrid rolled her eyes and quickly cleared away a spot on the ground for the fire. She stacked the kindling into a tent shape and placed larger pieces in the same shape over the smaller wood.

_ I hate you both. Now help me light this and keep it low, I want to taste my food for the next week. _

Stormfly shook against Astrid’s side with draconic laughter and built up their flame. Saliva coated their elongated mouth, tongue, and throat, giving them a fireproof exit for the white-hot flame.

They pursed their lips into an O. Astrid exhaled slowly at the prepared wood and Stormfly guided the dragonfire up and out at a steady stream. The logs quickly started to burn. Her tongue and teeth returned to their human shape and size. This made for five successful uses of dragonfire without being injured through partial transformation. 

The first time was an excruciating, skin-charing lesson in pain. It had been after her first training session with Hiccup. ‘It takes practice’ still echoed through her head, his nasally, calm tones reassuring her then and now. He hadn’t started a fire, no, he knocked a damn tree over with his little fire blast. 

Their campsite was in the perfect sort of place; it was kind of cozy. It reminded her of the little clearing they spent the night in after her first flying lesson. No settlements or man-made trails for a few hours flight made surprise visitors unlikely. Evergreens surrounded them and filled the air with their fragrance, small breaks in the forest made sure gathering kindling wasn’t overly difficult to gather. A gentle breeze flitted through the forest, and kept the air from growing stale. She could hear the rustle of dried pine needles and fresh grass as denizens of the forest made their way about. The sun’s dying light graced the tops of the trees and signaled the coming over night. A home without walls or a roof.

Astrid went to her pack and sifted through her items, pulling out her sleeping roll, flattening it on the ground and placing her bag at one end as her pillow. 

She went back into her pack to find a piece of spicy jerky and then stripped a chunk of the dried meat off with her teeth. Sitting down towards the fire, she chewed on the jerky and let her mind wander on more pressing concerns, like whatever Hiccup is supposed to tell her tonight. 

Did it mean she was going to learn something not even the other villagers could hear? Some secret about the curse that was so heinous it had to be told in utmost confidence? The deeper she went into the possibilities, the more fantastical they became. It made her jittery in anticipation.

She jerked when Stormfly wrapped her tail around her. She could feel the draconic heartbeat slow and steady.

_ :Worry not. Alpha keeps us safe: _

_ Hard not to when it caused an argument between Hiccup and Merida. _

_ :Mates fight. No blood, not serious: _

_ We need to work on the subtleties of human disagreements with you. _

Stormfly snorted warm air in Astrid’s face and turned her back before laying down and curling up.

_ So moody... _

The fire had burned down to glowing coals when Hiccup returned on silent wings, taking Astrid’s attention away from her inner musings. She took in his rain and pine needle scent, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the abrasive smell of death clashing against her friend’s usually pleasant fragrance. Snorting out the unexpecting stench, she sat up at her stomach’s growling in anticipation for whatever he took so long to find to eat.

“Did you get lost looking for food?” Astrid teased her mentor.

Hiccup gave her a sheepish smile and set down a pair of salmon skewered on wild apple stakes over the fire. 

“Dinner no, the boar, on the other hand, was a little more tricky.” He sat opposite her with the fire smoldering between them.

_ That’s what died. _

“Why did you hunt down a boar?” she asked.

Hiccup scrutinized his fingernails in the dim firelight, searching for something she couldn’t make out. He looked up and leaned over to rotate their dinner keeping it from burning, then turned his attention out west at the quickly darkening sky. Astrid pulled her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. She found early on in their training sessions that Hiccup had a flair for the dramatic when it was important. 

Hiccup pulled the salmon from the fire and passed one to her, they ate in silence; the apple wood added a delicious flavor. It wasn’t until they had both finished that Hiccup finally clued her in as to why he had killed and gutted a boar.

“When we get to the Troutberk we’ll need a reason for coming in that doesn’t keep people’s attention on us for more than a passing moment. There’s a butcher near the bay we can sell the carcass to and give us a cover to be walking through. Now it’ll be easy for me to get by, but you’re going to be a bit more difficult. So that means wearing your cloak, keeping your skin covered and hood up. If need be we can tie some cloth over your eyes. I have a few contacts that we need to speak with and get an idea of where the lycanthrope attacks are coming from and frequency. I’m hoping we can be in and out just after noon.” 

Hiccup stretched his arms and wings out to the side, pushing his chest out and groaning as his back popped. He slowly folded his wings up behind him and leaned back, bracing his hands against the ground. His right foot wiggled back and forth at a steady pace as he switched back and forth from watching the fire to looking at her. 

Astrid pinched the bridge of her nose, and breathed out slowly, trying to calm her annoyance at his brazen nonchalance, before pointing out the glaring holes in Hiccup’s plan for the following day, “A few issues, Hiccup. First, you are going to walk around with just your cloak to keep your wings hidden? Second, my cloak isn’t going to cover accidental flashes of my skin and if you haven’t noticed I’m more cerulean than white. Finally, these contacts. Who are they? Do they know who you are, what you are, is me being there going to cause problems?”

Hiccup chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, a bashful look flickered across his face, “Yeah I suppose details would answer some of those.” He leaned over to his pack and rummaged inside it before pulling out two oversized shirts. “These will help with the first two, they’re large enough to hide my wings once I fold them up behind my back. It’s not comfortable, but it’s what needs to be done. As for my contacts, they are friends that I’ve known for several years. You will not cause any issues, you’re with me and once you’re introduced they’ll understand you’re no threat. They do know who and what I am, and they help keep our secret.”

Astrid rubbed her chest as her heart dropped to her stomach. The simplicity of his plan left little to no room for escape if complications arose. Tossing another log onto the fire, she began planning contingencies for the more common problems they were likely to face. Being searched topped the list; one look at Hiccup’s back or her eyes and skin would set off all the alarms in the city. 

She rubbed a hand across her face to hide her grimace at the fact getting searched would be the best-case scenario. They would be outside and could get away before a sizable group could be formed to attack them. Visiting these contacts would probably remove that as a safe escape route, get them in a building, have the guards attack, with the intent to capture versus outright kill. Hiccup or her would have to use dragon fire to make an opening and that’s several dead guards, a former contact and how many other lives caught in the conflict. That would bring capital enforcers in, potentially mages. 

She sighed. Hiccup may trust them, but he also trusted people that tried to kill him in Alpha fights. Not the biggest vote of confidence and they pose the highest risk in this entire trip to the city. 

And that was before the possibility of drunk idiots who picked fights, or haughty nobles deciding on a whim they don’t like them and want them imprisoned. They needed to be lucky and possibly be loose with their money if the situation called for it. 

The dull thunk of a log landing on the burning coals brought Astrid’s attention to a distracted Hiccup who sat wringing his hands, muttering silently. He ignored her curious gaze, curling in on himself at various points in his silent discussion. Astrid smirked at his actions, deciding to not sit on the outside of this debate.

“Copper for your thoughts?”

His eyes jerked up to meet hers and stilled his hands. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and spoke in a steady, measured voice, “You ever had to talk to someone - of course you have you’ve talked to me and others. I mean, spoken to someone about a hard subject…wait, um, Gods this shouldn’t be difficult. But it is. Because it concerns you and me and Mer, I mean the whole village. What I want to say is this is something everyone learns about in the village, eventually as it affects them, possibly and some not at all and others, like you, it affects you a lot…” Hiccup continued to ramble, losing the calm atmosphere he began with and Astrid could only stare on in bemusement. The deeper Hiccup’s stress went, the stronger his pine needle and smoke portions of his scent became, overpowering. Astrid did entertain sitting next to him and trying to help calm him down. His scent made him even more charming.

“Hiccup.”

“And since it is going to-”

“Hiccup!”

“What I am trying to say, OOF!”

Astrid laughed as Hiccup sat up with her bag plastered to his face. It slid off and landed in his lap.

“Hiccup. Do you have something that you want to tell me or do I get to throw my bag at you again once you start dancing around the topic?”

Running his left hand through his hair, mussing up his already windblown look.

_ Just me or does he look cuter with his hair like that? _

_ :Focus, little one: _

“Astrid. Hi, Astrid. There is something I want, I need to tell you about our pack’s past.” Hiccup’s shoulders began moving up and down slightly while his hands started to gesture about aimlessly, “About six years ago we had a third of the pack leave to form their own nomadic band. It was the result of a schism in an ideology of how we should move forward and co-exist with the world around us. Those in the village follow my views and rules, we keep to ourselves as much as possible and bring in rescues, such as yourself.” Hiccup waved his hands at her, and his body posture started to relax. 

“Their leader, Nico, was of the view that Lycanthropes were the next great power on this continent and we should take every possibility available to bolster our numbers. Nico wanted to purposely infect large swaths of people and build up an army to claim lands beyond the forest. There was a challenge for leadership by Nico through Gerard, it failed, and a year later those that wanted to leave did and made their own pack.”

“Wait.” Astrid put both of her hands up for Hiccup to stop. He quirked an eyebrow at her befuddled look, “Why did he make Gerard challenge for the Alpha position? Was he not an Alpha candidate, and if not, why did anyone follow him to make a new pack?”

The bewildered look Astrid received gave her pause and made her think she had asked something ridiculous. 

“He? Astrid, Nico is a woman. Her full name is Nicoleta, I just always call her Nico from when we were friends.”

Astrid furrowed her brow, voicing her thoughts carefully, “Okay, that clears up why Gerard fought for her, but why would anyone follow her? Was she an alpha?”

“Close, she’s a Queen.” The anxiety had fully disappeared from Hiccup and in its place his unassuming confidence shone through. Astrid found his lips far more enticing when they were relaxed and not pursed from stress while he continued his story.

“Merida said there weren't any other Queens. She told me that she was the only one in the village when I first arrived...oh.”

“It’s okay. Mer...she took the whole Nicoleta debacle personally. While I was fighting Gerard, Nicoleta challenged Merida for the position as my mate. It’s the first and only challenge Merida has had and she nearly killed Nico. Merida got the scar on her side from that fight. People are more terrified of Merida than me from that one encounter.” His tone had dropped slightly in anger and indignation. 

“Anyway, Nico and her pack kept to themselves while wandering around the forest close to the northern border based on what we could find about their whereabouts; staying away from any major human settlements. Eventually, the stories of sightings stopped altogether and we did not hear anything for three years. Then came the reports of horrible lycanthrope attacks: something that usually was once a month became weekly and then nightly in some areas. I investigated at first and found the sheer number of people bitten horrifying. I rescued as many as I could, but in the end, it was too many to save.” Hiccup said through glazed-over eyes, staring past Astrid and back at nightmares made real. 

“Even now I wish I had only picked up on the clues she left at every attack. They happened at tiny outlying farming hamlets and then there would be a string of multi-night assaults on larger villages and even towns. I was running ragged on the outlying settlements and always got to the main target too late to make any sort of real difference. Aaarrrggghhh!” Hiccup dug his fingers into his hair, pulling and pushing turning it into a veritable bird’s nest. His eyes were windows to the pain he felt from not saving everyone. “I’ve been cleaning up after her attacks for three years now, and we know she’s been building up her numbers, and setting traps for me.”

Astrid absorbed everything Hiccup was telling her, and took notice that even stressed out he still looked cute. Regardless, Astrid sympathized with Merida’s concerns about Hiccup going out on these rescue missions alone. She only had stories to go on about the ferocity of feral lycanthropes, and now she would make sure Hiccup no longer went after them by himself. His self-preservation instinct was a bit lacking when it came to others, especially with all these planted lycanthropes to draw him out. 

_ We’ll just make sure he always comes back. _

The rumble of agreement from Stormfly’s throat solidified their conviction to that task.

“Even with the occasional ambush, it hasn’t stopped me from going and rescuing those bitten. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I missed helping someone like you.” Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut, and let out a shuddering exhale. His hands were fists at his sides, knuckles turning white. With his next breath, he eased some of his tension, opening his eyes to stare into hers.

Astrid’s breath caught in her throat at the naked care and devotion in his fierce, evergreen eyes. They pierced through her, leaving her momentarily defenseless under their gaze. 

Astrid looked away first, giving a quick mental shake to turn back to the topic at hand. She was here to keep Hiccup safe, and that meant not showing any hesitancy in any form. Straightening her back, she returned his piercing gaze unflinchingly.

“So that’s where I come in. Help you with the rescues, and keep you safe from these traps this Nicoleta sets for you? That’s why her story affects my life now?”

“That’s part of the reason.” Hiccup’s voice was hesitant as he replied. 

“Okay… and the other part?” Astrid drew out her response when Hiccup stopped talking, feeling irked at the delay. Hiccup’s ramblings were far preferable to his silence.

Standing up he stutter-stepped around the fire, forcing himself closer to sit next to Astrid. He sat down, his movement rigid and awkward. Astrid turned so they were face to face. Legs crossed, his eyes glittered like emeralds in the fire’s light and captivated all of her awareness. Astrid’s face warmed and she had trouble swallowing.

“The other is due to your caste rank.”

Astrid blinked, caught off guard, then raised an eyebrow. “And it’s a problem, why?”

Hiccup’s mouth worked up and down soundlessly in blatant disbelief. Astrid watched with growing frustration. Silence settled between them reigniting her disdain.

“Hiccup?” 

The hard edge in Astrid’s voice surprised Hiccup into replying,“Y..you really don’t know, do you?”

Astrid abruptly jumped to her feet and glared down at Hiccup, eyes blazing, her frustration giving way to anger.

“Know what, Hiccup?! I’m just another pack member! I don’t want to be Alpha! I’m a guard! I protect! Is that why this bitch is now my problem? Because I have no qualms about arranging a meeting between her and the gods!”

_ :Breathe, little one: _

The warm breath of Stormfly’s voice cut through the red haze of rage obscuring her sight. The nadder stood behind her in solidarity, but also keeping her from succumbing to her anger. Astrid steadied herself as her head went light from her yelling, and forced her breathing to slow down and deepen. 

Turning her attention back to Hiccup revealed him calmly sitting back, concern evident in his shocking green eyes. Carefully he raised his left hand, motioning for her to sit back down, “Please?”

She dropped down on her ass hard enough to kick up some dirt. Astrid was indifferent to the impact, she was reeling from the surge in losing her cool. She considered telling Hiccup to piss off, conversation be damned.

_ :Let Alpha speak. Learn. Understand: _

Astrid pouted at Stormfly and earned herself a headbutt to the chest. 

_ ...Fine _

Astrid leaned against Stormfly’s flank as the dragon laid back down and let the nadder’s soothing presence suffused her being. Astrid begrudgingly looked back to Hiccup’s patiently waiting form sitting a few feet away. The fire burned bright enough to cast him in shadow, it gave him a strangely alluring appearance. 

Astrid waited a few seconds for Hiccup to start explaining and when he remained silent she felt her irritation growing once more. Refusing to have a repeat of a few minutes ago she spoke up, “Hiccup, stop being-” she gestured to his whole body, “whatever this is and get to the point. Please?”

His enchanting eyes captured hers, a rush of amusement flashed across them and was gone just as quick, “Okay.”

Not losing eye contact, he leaned over and gently grasped her hand. Astrid found herself acutely aware of how much larger his hands were than her’s, how they fit together seamlessly, rough from his forge work and her’s from axe training, and the intoxicating warmth. Why was she so angry at him for just taking his time to-

Reluctantly, Astrid pulled her hand back and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Hiccup-”

“Right. Get to the point. First, I’m sorry. Merida told me you weren’t aware of your true rank and I ignored her. It’s my fault for causing your outburst. The truth is you are not another pack member, you’re far more...unique.”

He reached back across and took her hands in his, gently squeezing them. She stared at his hands, she could feel the calluses rasp across her skin, it sent a shiver up her arms and down her spine. 

“Astrid, you...”

She wondered what those dexterous fingers would feel like working their way down her, “OW! FUCK!”

Astrid jerked her hands out of Hiccup’s, the lingering pain of being bitten radiated out from her hands. Stormfly’s irritability assailed her mind.

_ Stormfly! What the Hel was that for?! _

_ :Listen, I say! Not dream!: _

_ You fu- _

“Astrid? Are you okay?”

Shit. She stopped listening to what Hiccup had said once he grabbed her hands. She groaned knowing she would have to tell him the truth, otherwise Toothless would rat her out. 

“Stormfly bit my hands, because I wasn’t listening to what you were saying. Mind repeating it?” 

She hoped it was dark enough now for him to miss the blush growing darker across her cheeks from being caught. The goofy, gorgeous grin says she isn’t that lucky. Fortunately, he doesn’t mention it and just shakes his head. 

“You’re a Queen, Astrid. Like Merida and Nicoleta.” 

His words were a blow - she jerked back as if to avoid them..

“Bullshit,” she countered.

The cocked eyebrow was enough for Astrid to stop and re-evaluate her next choice words for Hiccup’s revelation. Instead of telling him to stop landing on his head, she opted for clarification.

“How do you know?”

Hiccup held up his fist and raised his forefinger. “One, you are subservient to no one, aside from me. Two, people in the village listen to you and do what you say without much challenge. Three, you make sure everyone under your care is protected. Four, you have not had a true attraction to anyone since they are not the Alpha. Five, is that I can sense it about you just as I can with Merida and did with Nicoletta.”

There was an argument, a denial sitting on the tip of her tongue. Only the words in defiance to Hiccup’s turned to ash, dispersing on the winds of realization. She thought she would have noticed being different from the others, or have been aware of their treatment of her as a Queen. But even from the beginning, she never kowtowed to anyone, even Hiccup, despite him turning her legs jelly from time to time. Merida had always been an equal, a friend. The scouts had oddly deferred to her judgment only a month after she joined. And recently, some villagers had been starting to offer her small gifts, like they were trying to curry favor.

A log cracked in half, and golden sparks flitted into the air only to die out against the background of glittering stars. Astrid marveled at how much it resembled her beliefs constantly being broken only to reveal a vast new reality she never knew existed. She was a Queen and not an unaffected member of the pack, she was ‘unique’, one of three. Her life was changing once again. 

“Anything else I should know?” Astrid didn’t even try to hide the exhaustion that had taken over her body and even her voice.

“Not tonight.” Hiccup’s crooked grin was reassuring and soothing, “Let me handle first watch, you look like you're ready to drop.”

He squeezed her hand once more and let go. Astrid watched him get up and walk away, both of his hands hanging loosely by his side. She got up and went over to sleeping roll, laid down and stared up at the night sky. 

Her mind was full of new knowledge about herself, the pack, and a bit of Hiccup and Merida’s past. She found all of it settling into the background noise of her mind as one thought demanded her full attention.

Hiccup’s warm hands holding her’s, and how his bewitching green eyes captured her soul every time she stared into them.

  
  


***

Oppressive. Stifling. Pissing her off. 

Astrid was finding no shortage of ways to describe her current surroundings. Every little bug that buzzed, bird calling out, and anything that made noise was annoying and grating her nerves raw. She drew in a sharp gasp of air as another bout of throbbing stabs in the gut assaulted her.

“You sure you’re alright?” Hiccup’s voice was tinged with worry, and it ground down her already short nerves. 

“I’ve had worse, I just hadn’t realized I would still get my courses after the curse took over.” Astrid grimaced through another sharp cramp as the two of them traversed the outskirts of a farming village just north of the Troutberk. The midafternoon sun seared the back of her neck warring with the painful heat spiking from within. It made her wish for a quick dip in the ocean. Stopping at an oak, she braced herself against it and took the time to catch her breath. 

After the conversation from last night, Astrid had entertained the thought there were more changes on the horizon just not the very next day. The cramps started mildly enough that ignoring them wasn’t an issue, and she had made it through Troutberk without too much discomfort. Once they made it to the farming village all bets were off as the stabbing pains came on in full force. Gods, she fucking hated her courses. 

It took her a moment to get over the pounding of her blood in her ears to hear Hiccup’s muttering, “Courses, courses, courses…” She shook her head and was about to tell him when he jerked his head up revealing a bright red face that slowly morphed into one of confusion.

“That can’t be right. It’s not your courses.”

Astrid did not have many memories of her parents. Among them, the one that still froze her with fear was her mother’s blazing eyes when Astrid had gotten caught playing with her father’s axe; something she should not have been doing, ever. Uncle Finn said that of all the things she got from her mom, those eyes were the scariest. Hiccup now found himself on the receiving end of said eyes, and blanched.

“Astrid, that’s… uhh… not what I meant-”

“And what did you mean, Hiccup?!” The growl at the end was accented by another stab of cramps. 

He stepped closer and extended a wing to give her shade from the sun. The shade’s instant relief cooled her skin and ill-temper, and the warmth of his close proximity seemed to dampen the throb of her cramps.   
  
He gestured half-hazardly towards her. “Sorry. It’s been over thirty years since I’ve been around anyone that still experiences this and I was bad at it then and clearly, I still am. You are experiencing what you say are your courses and I shouldn’t have said that shouldn’t be possible.”

Hiccup used his other wing to gently fan Astrid.

“Without fail, every female affected by the curse stopped having their courses after the change and they never returned. They’re tied to having children, so remove being able to procreate and no need for courses.” 

Astrid forced herself to take in several deep breaths and get a sense of order to her thoughts and emotions. She still felt overheated both inside and out, the cramping was diminished for now, and, by the gods! Hiccup smelled amazing! Astrid leaned in closer, her sense of smell picking up every new drop of sweat, his unique scent of rain, smoke and leather, and not to mention his lovely-

“Astrid!”

Her eyes jerked open to see Hiccup beyond concerned and approaching panicked. 

“Oh, thank the gods. I thought you passed out! You just closed your eyes and started leaning into me more and more.” Astrid heard what he said, she just couldn’t process it. His emerald eyes were dragging her deeper and deeper. 

_ What were we talking about? Something about my courses. _

Hiccup kept talking and fanning her, but it did nothing for the heat growing in her the pit of her stomach. No, a little lower and it was getting uncomfortably hot. She needed more than him fanning her. She needed him to touch her.

_ :Little one-: _

Astrid’s eyes drifted down to Hiccup’s lips. 

_ Just a kiss. _

The screech deafened all of Astrid’s thoughts, and made her take several steps back from Hiccup. She cast about for the source of the scream, only to find Hiccup staring at her. Panicking.

He slowly reached out to her like she was a skittish animal, “Astrid…”

She wanted to run into his embrace, some primal part of her screamed for it. Only she wasn’t in control. Her body spun around and sprinted towards the west, towards the ocean. Hiccup screamed out for her, and she kept running. Her wings started to form, she jumped and soared into the air. 

It was like a dream where she could only watch. 

Suddenly, Astrid soon found herself flailing from several hundred feet above the sea’s shore, their beating wings the only thing stopping her from hurtling into the water. They started to hover about thirty feet above the gentle waves. 

_ :Cool off: _

Stormfly’s reprimanding tone was enhanced by the stoic pose she took in her meadow staring down at Astrid. 

Astrid started to fall rapidly, her wings having reverted back to human arms, swallowed her as she was dunked into its icy depths. The cold slapped every part of her skin, cooling the fiery heat that had muddled her mind. She pushed water out of her way as she surfaced from the water. 

Astrid took in a salty lung full of air and hacked up what seawater she managed to swallow with the impromptu dunk. Huffing, she started to move towards land.

Astrid flipped over to her back and started to slowly kick, letting herself slowly glide towards the beach as the water lapped around her.

_ Stormfly. _

The nadder was restless in their green meadow. What had her agitated wasn’t readily apparent to Astrid, but she had time to figure it out.

_ Stormfly! What’s going on? You haven’t taken over like since I was learning to fly. I’ll admit I lost my head a bit back there with Hiccup, but did you need to drop me in the ocean? _

Stormfly remained speechless, and continued her stalking back and forth, pointedly ignoring Astrid’s annoyed gaze. 

_ We’ll discuss this later. _

Her backstroke slowly became more languid, relaxed. It had been a few years since Astrid had been able to go swimming for pleasure, and the water felt soothing around her. Perhaps this should be a reward for making it through winter each year, just come out and enjoy the sun, water, Hiccu-

Her arms stilled. Her infatuation with Hiccup in the last two days was beyond her just being horny. She wasn’t hurting for release, Phaenna was a marvelous lover and never left her unsatisfied, but she had never desired her the way she did Hiccup a few minutes ago. He was suddenly like a drink that would never sate her thirst.

“But why?!” Her voice carried across the gentle waves.

Nothing had changed between the two during the three months he trained her. They formed a fast friendship, he was honorable and steadfast. Merida was beyond lucky to have him, and she was happy for their relationship. Causing a rift in it was the last thing she wanted to do, but her body seemed to have other intentions. She wasn’t going to be like Nicoleta. Nevermind she’s a Queen and that could lead to a fight with the redhead, and that did not appeal to Astrid in the slightest.

Her old life did not carry these... complications. It also didn’t include flying, shooting poisonous tail spikes, breathing fire, and friends. 

Astrid started her backstroke up again and stopped when her hand dug into wet sand. She rolled over to have her knees dig into the semi-solid ground, before standing and stretching under the morning sun. Walking to a patch of sand untouched by the waves, she bent down to pick up a handful to enjoy the warmth baked into it. Instead, it turned into a gritty, muddy mess in her hand as the sand rapidly cool. She grimaced, rubbing her hands together to clean them. 

“Protecting his glorious ass. Mer you really have no shame in your love for him.” Astrid shook the last of sand off of her hand the best she could and stared out across the water. “Right. So my Queen status. I’ll just wait until I can talk to Merida about it. Seems we have one more thing in common now. This whole second pack and Nicoletta issue isn’t going anywhere and that just leaves-”

A death scream echoed out from the forest. The sound seized Astrid's heart and narrowed her focus on one person.

“Hiccup!”

_ :Alpha!: _

They were airborne, senses pushed to their extreme. His scent came first along with the stench of wet dogs: Werewolves, and a lot of them. A blast of fire exploded from the woods followed quickly by cries of pain and anguish. They spotted him backing up into a small clearing as he threw off a partially transformed werewolf. He was holding his own, relieving a sliver of panic for Astrid and Stormfly.

Their relief was short-lived as an arrow pierced Hiccup’s chest. 

They dove as he fell.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap! I did not think this chapter would ever be finished. Thank y'all for hanging in there and dealing with all the delays. 
> 
> This chapter is the hardest one I have written to date and even when I got through with the initial draft my beta reader nuked it. There was a lot of bad writing that needed fixing and between the two of us, we made it work. I'm happy with where the story is progressing now and I have outlines done for the next 3 chapter's and an idea for the next arc. What does that mean? That the next chapters will not take as long to write and come out polished. 
> 
> Updates are going to be a bit sporadic and the reason behind that is I have started a new job. I am working at a new hospital and going through all of the orientation and training steps. It takes time and I am adjusting my writing time to work with my new work schedule. The other reason is I am going to get chapters 8-10 written before I post the next one. That way they are done and I can do a regular posting for my sanity and probably yours. 
> 
> Thank y'all again for waiting patiently and for the amazing comments, they fuel my slow days! I'm on Tumblr under HypnoticNurse if you want to message me there. 
> 
> Leave a comment, and a kudos if you haven't already. See y'all next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking out my first posted fic! There is more to the story so check back for the follow-up chapters and let me know what you think!


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